The Ambivalence of Scarcity and Other Essays [Paperback]

First published in French in 1979, The Ambivalence of Scarcity was a groundbreaking work on mimetic theory. Now expanded upon with new, specially written, and never-before-published conference texts and essays, this revised edition explores Ren? Girards philosophy in three sections: economy and economics, mimetic theory, and violence and politics in modern societies. The first section argues that though mimetic theory is in many ways critical of modern economic theory, this criticism can contribute to the enrichment of economic thinking. The second section explores the issues of nonviolence and misrecognition (m?connaissance), which have been at the center of many discussions of Girards work. The final section proposes mimetic analyses of the violence typical of modern societies, from high school bullying to genocide and terrorist attacks. Politics, Dumouchel argues, is a violent means of protecting us from our own violent tendencies, and it can at times become the source of the very savagery from which it seeks to protect us. The books conclusion analyzes the relationship between ethics and economics, opening new avenues of research and inviting further exploration. Dumouchels introduction reflects on the importance of Ren? Girards work in relation to ongoing research, especially in social sciences and philosophy.

Newly revised, expanded, and for the first time in English,The Ambivalence of Scarcityexplores the many different aspects of Ren? Girards philosophy in three sections: economy and economics, mimetic theory, and violence and politics in modern societies. Dumouchels introduction places the essays in the context of ongoing research in social sciences and philosophy.

Paul Dumouchel is Professor of Philosophy at the Graduate School of Core Ethics and Frontier Sciences, Ritsumeikan University, Kyoto, Japan.