Models of Desire: Rene Girard and the Psychology of Mimesis

About this book

To some Rene Girard is best known for his views on sacred myth and ritual. To others he is the eminent structuralist critic who offers challenging readings of major literary works. Still others know him for his analyses of the Bible. Central to all aspects of Girards work is his theory of mimesis a basic hypothesis about the structures of human motivation Yet nowhere in his writings does Girard offer a systematic presentation of the mimetic theory. In fact key terminology shifts from work to work resulting in considerable ambiguity in both basic concepts and explanatory claims In Models of Desire Paisley Livingston provides the first rigorous critical reconstruction of Girards theory of mimesis. Drawing a careful distinction between the theory itself and Girards often ambitious claims about it Livingston provides a systematic presentation of Girards ideas about the role of imitation in human motivation. He surveys responses to Girards work and compares his theory of mimetic desire with recent work in cognitive psychology and philosophy. The result is a salient theoretical alternative to the false choice--between psychoanalysis and anti-psychological doctrines--that currently dominates literary theory.