Be Not Conformed

René Girard’s mimetic theory — that human desire is imitative, that rivalry grows from imitation, and that societies manage the resulting violence through the scapegoat — cuts across philosophy, anthropology, literature, and theology, and has shaped Silicon Valley’s understanding of competition and value.

Seventeen original essays place Girard in conversation with Dietrich von Hildebrand, Luigi Giussani, and Marshall McLuhan, and carry his insights into technology, education, and race. Many began at the NOVITĀTE conference at The Catholic University of America in November 2023, marking the centennial of Girard’s birth.