It is amazing to me how right on Girard’s theory is - at first you think “there’s no way to prove this”, but then you see how it plays out everywhere! And Girard has quite an extensive knowledge of history and myth, and draws on many examples of his theories in play in his writing.
By the way - which book was the example you gave above from? I’ve only read “The Scapegoat” by him so far. I probably should have read “I See Satan Fall Like Lightning” before I released my series, but I didn’t want to put it off any longer. Plus, I found “The Scapegoat” to be a little difficult to get through, until I got to the portions based on Biblical passages (which were easier for me because I was more familiar with the subject matter).
That is very interesting - I’ve wondered, as I became more of a pacifist, if indeed there is some level of violence that is necessary. I mean, obviously we want as little violence as possible. But as an example of what I’m getting at - numerous people have observed that men who are friends and women who are friends fight very differently. Men get the problem right out in the open and take care of it right then and there - maybe even involving fists - and then they have a beer afterwards, and it’s over. Whereas it seems that women often avoid the problem, and can be very passive aggressive - which might actually do more damage to the friendship in the end. You almost wonder if it’s better to put on padding and have a kickboxing match and get it over with, with hugs following afterwards? Or is this as Thich Nhat Hanh says - practicing our violence and growing the seeds of violence within? I don’t know - it’s a tough question.