Foreword


Avant-Propos

René Girard and Philosophy: An Interview with Paul Dumouchel
Author(s): Paul Dumouchel, Andreas Wilmes

Abstract:
What was René Girard’s attitude towards philosophy? What philosophers influenced him? What stance did he take in the philosophical debates of his time? What are the philosophical questions raised by René Girard’s anthropology? In this interview, Paul Dumouchel sheds light on these issues.

René Girard et la Philosophie: Entretien avec Paul Dumouchel
Author(s): Paul Dumouchel, Andreas Wilmes

Abstract:
Quelle était l’attitude de René Girard à l’égard de la philosophie ? Quels philosophes l’ont influencé ? Comment a-t-il pris position au sein des débats philosophiques de son temps ? À quelles formes d’interrogations philosophiques l’anthropologie de René Girard conduit-elle ? Dans cet entretien, Paul Dumouchel tente d’apporter un éclairage à ces questions.

Emmanuel Levinas and René Girard: Religious Prophets of Non-Violence
Author(s): Robert J. S. Manning

Abstract:
This paper analyzes the work of Emmanuel Levinas and René Girard and argues that both of them have as their central problem the phenomenon of human violence and both try to address this problem from their own religious tradition, Jewish for Levinas, Christian for Girard. They both pursue the concept of nonviolence to an extreme point in what each calls saintliness or holiness and both can be considered religious prophets of this extreme version of nonviolence.

Consilience, Abduction, and Mimetic Theory: An Epistemological Inquiry into René Girard’s Interpretation of the Oedipus Myth
Author(s): Marian Tataru

Abstract:
The purpose of this paper is to describe the evolution of the fundamental guidelines according to René Girard’s interpretation of the Oedipus myth. After close examination, it appears Girard’s methodology is based on four complementary levels: (1) the common-sense tracking of sacrificial substitutions; (2) the careful analysis of symmetries and dissymmetries in mythical texts; (3) the identification of cross-cultural and historical persecution stereotypes; (4) the application of the common standard of evidence (i.e. guilty beyond a reasonable doubt) for criminal conviction. Throughout the paper, we will show that Girard’s approach bears strong resemblance with William Whewell’s method of consilience as well as Charles Sanders Peirce’s views of the historical sciences.

Portrait of René Girard as a Post-Hegelian: Masters, Slaves, and Monstrous Doubles
Author(s): Andreas Wilmes

Abstract:
This paper will analyze the evolution and the key aspects of René Girard’s critique of the Hegelian “struggle for recognition” and the master-slave dialectic. Through a discussion of Girard’s views on Identity, Difference, Violence, Desire and Negativity, the study will aim to highlight the philosophical uniqueness of the mimetic theory in respect to French Hegelianism and post-Hegelianism.

War and Peace in Plato’s Political Thought
Author(s): Joan-Antoine Mallet

Abstract:
In Ancient Greece, the relation between war and peace used to have an ambiguous meaning. War was considered as a normal state and peace was seen only as an exception or a temporary truce during a long lasting conflict. But peace and political stability were also valued: the aim of war was never the total annihilation of the opponent. Besides this opposition, there was a balance between war and peace during these times and this conception, inherited from the heroic times, lasted until the beginning of the Peloponnesian War. This event redefined the relation between war and peace. The meaning of conflict moved from polemos, as codified conflict between cities, to stasis, as civil war. War was less perceived as something positive and more people valued peace and stability. Plato’s political thought was developed in this context as a potential answer to this redefinition of conflict as well as the threat of an excessive and radical conception of war. However, Plato had to face an exigent challenge. No political regime was able to establish peace anymore, so Plato needed to create a brand new political system to solve the problems raised by the Peloponnesian War. The goal of this paper will be to present Plato’s response to these political challenges by showing that his response is deeply innovative for his time but also profoundly rooted in a traditional conception of conflict that was already obsolete when he wrote his masterpieces.

Contributing Authors