Resurrection From The Underground

Feodor Dostoevsky

Rene Girard

Recommended By

Book Synopsis

Resurrection From The Underground by Rene Girard dives into the depths of human desire and the power dynamics that shape our society. Through a close examination of influential literary works and cultural myths, Girard unveils the destructive nature of mimetic desire and the scapegoat mechanism.

Drawing from the works of Dostoyevsky, Cervantes, Shakespeare, and others, Girard explores how the resurrection of Christ disrupts the cycle of violence inherent in human affairs. With incisive analysis, he reveals how our collective fear of death and our relentless pursuit of rivalry lead to societal turmoil and the sacrificial victimization of others.

Girard's work exposes the fallacy of mimetic rivalry, in which we imitate others out of a misguided belief that it will fulfill our desires. He argues that the primal fear of contagion and exclusion drive individuals to turn against each other in a perpetual war of imitation. This rivalry, often fueled by envy and resentment, ultimately results in the sacrifice of a chosen victim who is blamed for society's ills.

However, according to Girard, in the resurrection of Christ lies the hope for liberation from this destructive cycle. By exposing the violence and scapegoating mechanisms, the resurrection reveals the necessary sacrifice of Jesus as a means to transcend mimetic rivalry and restore harmony within society.

Resurrection From The Underground is a thought-provoking exploration of human desires, violence, and the potential for redemption. Girard's critical analysis unearths the universal patterns of behavior that underpin our societal structures, offering an alternative path towards peace and understanding.

With its meticulous examination of literary classics and philosophical concepts, this book offers readers the opportunity to reflect on their own desires and the impact of mimetic rivalry on their lives and relationships. Resurrection From The Underground serves as a powerful reminder of the transformative power of love, forgiveness, and the need for communal reconciliation.

Explore More Books

See All
The Right Call
I Am Not a Tractor
The Black Jacobins
The Anatomy of Buzz
The Remains Of The Day
The Etymologicon
The Moment of Lift
The Utopia of Rules
Technofeudalism
Fast Food Nation
Amusing Ourselves to Death
Plants of the Gods
Brute
The Upside of Stress
An American Marriage
Essays and Aphorisms
The Elephant in the Brain
The Essential Scratch & Sniff Guide to Becoming a Whiskey Know-It-All
Man's Search for Meaning
Loonshots
Security Analysis
Tent Life in Siberia
Impromptu
Richard Feynman
Talent Is Overrated
Rational Expectations
Harvesting the Biosphere
The Elements of Statistical Learning
Zoning Rules!
A Mathematician's Apology
Fundamentals of Plasma Physics
A Thousand Splendid Suns
In Pursuit of the Common Good
Breath From Salt
How Not To Be Wrong
Think and Grow Rich
Dynasty
Survival to Thrival
Recapturing The Spirit Of Enterprise
How to Teach Your Baby Math
Mission
Memories, Dreams, Reflections
Radical Uncertainty
Game Engine Black Book
Wealth of Wisdom
Eisenhower
World Order
The New Atlantis
Superforecasting
The Vital Question
The Hero with a Thousand Faces
Peter Pan
Eco-Farm
Batman
Thus Spoke the Plant
These Truths
The Essential Scratch and Sniff Guide to Becoming a Wine Expert
The Giving Tree
Leonardo Da Vinci
The Medici Effect
The Machine Stops
The Great Gatsby
Patient Capital
From Third World to First
The Great Transformation
Getting It Done
The Inflamed Mind
Born To Run
Getting Real
Triumphs of Experience
The Madness of Crowds
The Theory of Investment Value
A Technique for Producing Ideas
The Future Is Faster Than You Think
Nexus
The Adventures of Henry Thoreau
Hoover Dam
Anthropic Bias
Sex, Drugs, and Rock 'n' Roll
Intellectuals and Race
Innovating Out of Crisis
Jonathan Livingston Seagull
Systems Medicine
Sex, Murder, and the Meaning of Life
Radical Candor
Hornblower Saga
Structure and Interpretation of Computer Programs
How To Get Rich
The Amateur
Andrew Carnegie
The Overview Effect
Last Chance to See
Mohammed and Charlemagne
Competing in the Age of AI
Road to Wigan Pier
Live Free or Die
Adult Children of Alcoholics
Think on These Things
No Ordinary Time
The MAGA Doctrine