Analysis of Rene Girard's The Scapegoat

"Difference that exists outside the system is terrifying because it reveals the truth of the system, its relativity, its fragility and its mortality" pronounces Rene Girard in The Scapegoat (108). This idea illustrates the need of man to separate himself from his peers and to create divisions in his mind. Girard claims that men desire uniformity and differences while ideas that prove the contrary are one of the most destructive forces in a crowd. Crowds and divisions are formed on the basis of people grouping themselves together creating in their minds the situation of "Us and Them".

People throughout their entire lives look for ways to differentiate themselves from those around. In the crowd level people gravitate to those with a similar sense of self and views of others. This newly formed crowd then has the ability to persecute when their beliefs are proved to be wrong in face of a lack of differentiation. The crowd then opposes those who in their minds are different and distinct even going so far as to create lies about the opposing crowd to justify their beliefs. Crowds will believe anything that creates a sense of differentiation because a lack of differentiation would shatter their sense of self as well as leaving logic behind in the pursuit of shallow self affirmation of their set ideas of others.

Everybody realizes that they are different from people around them but this only goes so far to accept differences in perceived normal ways. The simplest example of this is the physical realm. A person will accept those of different heights and body types all in normal standards. Then when this person interacts with someone with perceived physical differences that are bizarre they feel disgusted. Even with all of moder...

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...separating the majority from the minority. To believe the contrary would destroy the idea of the of the majority and minority; thoughts that continue to thrive today. It is almost as if human nature wants to be categorized and reaffirm ones personal idea that they are unique but in given standards.

Girard makes the argument that a breakdown in a lack of differentiation has negative effects on society as a whole. Moreover crowds will go at any length from have this realization made possible. Thought history people have shown that they prefer to be different in the ways they want to be. These ways are usually physical in nature and superficial. People will only look so far into another person and make their judgments from that short examination.Crowds will shun logic for division and believe with a blind faith that differences define those outside of their crowd.