Who is Rene Girard?

René Girard was a French historian, literary critic, and philosopher of social science. His work belongs to the tradition of anthropological philosophy. Girard is known for developing the concept of "mimetic desire," which posits that all human desires are borrowed from other people; people naturally imitate the desires of others, which can lead to conflict and violence. He argued that the resolution of this mimetic conflict was the origin of religions and cultures. Additionally, Girard explored how mimetic desire impacts literature and political dynamics, making his work influential in several academic disciplines.