René Girard (1923-2015) was a French-born American historian, literary critic, and philosopher of social science whose work belongs to the tradition of anthropological philosophy. He was a member of the elite Académie Française for his groundbreaking work in human nature after having spent nearly fifty years elaborating his theory of mimetic desire. Cynthia L. Haven (introducer) is a National Endowment for the Humanities Public Scholar. She writes regularly for The Times Literary Supplement, and has also contributed to The New York Times Book Review, The Nation, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, and others. She is the author of Evolution of Desire: A Life of René Girard (2018) and Conversations with René Girard: Prophet of Envy (2020).

How we are motivated to imitate wanting what others desire Girard s theory primed for the social media age.

A Penguin Classic

René Girard eludes easy categories, bridging the fields of literary criticism, anthropology, sociology, history, religion and theology. Influencing such writers as J. M. Coetzee and Milan Kundera, his insight into contagious violence looks ever more prophetic and relevant seven years after his death. In many ways he is the thinker for our modern world of social media and herd behavior. In this newly selected collection of writings, Cynthia L. Haven has created an approachable anthology of his work, addressing Girard's thoughts on the nature of desire, human imitation and rivalry, the causes of conflict and violence, the deep structure of religion and cultural subjects like opera and theatre. Girard spoke in language that was engaging, accessible and often controversial. A long-time friend and colleague, Haven shines a spotlight on his role as a public intellectual and profound theorist, inviting a new generation to his corpus.