Imitatio Projects

Imitatio, a project of the Thiel Foundation, supports the development and discussion of René Girard's "mimetic theory" of human behavior and culture.  Mimetic theory is a way to think about how profoundly imitative people are -- from superficial fashions to individuals' deepest desires.  Mimetic theory brings together insights from across disciplinary boundaries, and Imitatio brings together researchers, students, and the wider public to take these insights to the next level.

Key projects:

TRANSLATIONS: Imitatio supports the translation of key works in mimetic theory so that more readers have access for themselves:

  • René Girard's Le sacrifice, bringing his theory to bear on the religion of ancient India, was recently translated into English as Sacrifice and published by Michigan State University Press (April 2011).
  • Girard's Shakespeare: A Theatre of Envy was recently translated into German and published as Shakespeare: Theater des Neides by Hanser (March 2011).

PUBLICATIONS: Imitatio supports the publication of new work in mimetic theory:

  • Mimesis and Science investigates the biology of imitation (forthcoming from MSU Press, 2011).
  • Politics & Apocalypse, edited by Robert Hamerton-Kelly, explores the links between religion and political philosophy (MSU Press, 2008).

ARCHIVES: Imitatio supports the preservation and organization of René Girard's writings in an archive at the Bibliothèque nationale de France with digital copies to be made available to major libraries around the world.

RESEARCH: Imitatio supports research that aims to answer open questions in mimetic theory and connect findings to wider debates: 

  • What is the history of the word "scapegoat," that mysterious term which names the victim of our collective violence?
  • What can we learn about the global herd of investors and volatile market dynamics when we think about finance through the lens of mimetic theory?

PLATFORMS: Imitatio supports organizations that bring people together to discuss mimetic theory.  Among the many groups around the world helping to continue the conversation:

  • Association Recherches Mimétiques, Paris
  • Australian Girard Seminar, Sydney
  • Dutch Girard Society, Amsterdam

EDUCATION: Imitatio supports educational experiments to test out ways of teaching mimetic theory and to make it easier for young writers and researchers to get started in this rich field. We record and disseminate effective approaches, and we bring young scholars together to build relationships and compare ideas.

SUMMARY: In person at conferences, meetings, lectures, and discussions; online at the Imitatio web site; and in print via published articles, new books, and freshly translated works; around the world Imitatio supports research to deepen mimetic theory and public discussion to spread its valuable insights to wider audiences.