Reflective mimesis and ethics of the cross in the mimetic theory of Rene Girard: towards an inclusive humanism : doctoral dissertation

Ekpunobi, Anthony (author), Petkovšek, Robert (mentor)

According to René Girard’s anthropological interpretation of the Event of the cross of Jesus Christ, the cross represents the historical moment when the unjust nature of the scapegoat mechanism that held sway of primitive society was exposed. In his Mimetic Theory, mimetic desire is the unconscious, involuntary, uncontrollable driving force of human acts. He proffered the Imitation of Christ i.e. a reversal of the will to violence, as the solution to scapegoating. Unfortunately, the imitation of Christ involves a mental reflection that is inconsistent with the mimetic theory. This Christological solution i.e. the Imitation of Christ, to an anthropological crisis as proposed by Girard does not make for a rational understanding of the action of the cross. On the contrary, a reflective mimesis informed by the action of the cross, is supportive of a rational understanding of the cross as such, unaided by any appeal to religious faith. This thesis argues for reflective mimesis as an ethical disposition, a paradigm and a point of reference of social integration.

• Language: English
• Keywords: mimesis, mimetic theory, memetic desire, triangular desire, interdividuality, pharmakon, Interdividual psychology, self of desire, unconscious, tacit knowing, recognition, misrecognition, alertness, reflection, reflective mimesis
• Work type: Doctoral dissertation
• Typology: 2.08 - Doctoral Dissertation
• Organization: TEOF - Theological Faculty
• Place of publishing: Ljubljana
• Publisher: [A. Ekpunobi]
• Year: 2020
• Number of pages: IV, 271 str.
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-128395
• UDC: 14Girard R.(043.3)
• COBISS.SI-ID: 73695747
• Publication date in RUL: 10.07.2021

Secondary language

• Language: Slovenian
• Title: Refleksivna mimeza in etika križa v mimetični teoriji Renéja Girarda: naproti vključujočemu humanizmu

Abstract

V skladu z antropološko interpretacijo križanja Jezusa Kristusa (angl. Event of the Cross), ki jo je podal René Girard, križ predstavlja zgodovinski trenutek, ko se razodene nepravičnost mehanizma grešnega kozla, ki je obvladoval prvotno družbo (angl. primitive society). V mimetični teoriji Renéja Girarda je mimetična želja nezavedna, nehotena in neobvladljiva gonilna sila človeških dejanj. Girard je v posnemanju Kristusa (angl. Imitation of Christ) – to je v odvrnitvi od volje do moči – našel odgovor na pojav žrtvovanja grešnega kozla (angl. Scapegoating). Vendar pa je posnemanje Kristusa rešitev, ki ni v skladu z mimetično teorijo. Ta Girardov kristološki odgovor (= posnemanje Kristusa) na antropološko krizo ne omogoča dogodka križa razložiti kot racionalno dejanje. Nasprotno, refleksivna mimesis, ki jo dogodek križa sugerira, govori v prid racionalne razlage dogodka križa in ne kliče po religiozni razlagi. Naša teza utemeljuje refleksivno mimesis, in sicer kot etično razpoloženje, kot paradigmo in referenčno točko družbene integracije.

• Keywords: mimesis, mimetična teorija, mimetična želja, trikotna želja, interdividualnost, pharmakon, interdividualna psihologija, sebstvo želje, nezavedno, tiho védenje, prepoznanje, zmotno prepoznanje, čuječnost, refleksija, refleksivna mimesis