Mimesis and Science: Empirical Research on Imitation and the Mimetic Theory of Culture and Religion

This exciting compendium brings together, for the first time, some of the foremost scholars of Ren Girard's mimetic theory, with leading imitation researchers from the cognitive, developmental, and neuro sciences. These chapters explore some of the major discoveries and developments concerning the foundational, yet previously overlooked, role of imitation in human life, revealing the unique theoretical links that can now be made from the neural basis of social interaction to the structure and evolution of human culture and religion. Together, mimetic scholars and imitation researchers are on the cutting edge of some of the most important breakthroughs in understanding the distinctive human capacity for both incredible acts of empathy and compassion as well as mass antipathy and violence. As a result, this interdisciplinary volume promises to help shed light on some of the most pressing and complex questions of our contemporary world.

Binding Type: Paperback
Publisher: Michigan State University Press
Published: 10/31/2011
ISBN: 9781611860238
Pages: 272
Weight: 1.02lbs
Size: 9.01h x 6.05w x 0.69d