Things Hidden Since the Foundation of the World

This book presents René Girard's theory of mimetic desire, in which people imitate one another and rivalry can escalate into collective violence. Written as a dialogue with psychiatrists Jean-Michel Oughourlian and Guy Lefort, it examines sacrifice, scapegoating, religion, psychoanalysis, and culture. Girard argues that scapegoating has shaped social order and explores how Christianity relates to this pattern through the figure of Christ.

by René Girard, Jean-Michel Oughourlian, Guy Lefort

B. Grasset · First published 1978 · 492 pages