Date Posted:20:05:56 03/02/08 Sun Author: JD Subject: Freud and Mimesis
Although Girard puts himself in opposition to Freud and his theory of desire is definitely different than that of Freud, Freud shows aspects of Girard's theory in some of the workings of his own. In the Oedipus Complex, we see that the child "associates" himself with the father. In other words, the child appropriates the behavior of his father simply because his father is the possessor of the mother. Although we do not necessarily see the exact workings of a mimetic rivalry, there is definitely the foundation of what becomes a mimetic rivalry (yet the fear of castration could somehow progress it even further). Finally, we also an inkling of mimesis in the education of the children. The job of education is to shape the children for the pressures of society: it is to make them just like every other functioning member of civilization. In this sense it is simply subjecting the children to a process that invokes appropriation in behavior and values to diminish the power of the id in the individual. I think it would be interesting to see if Freud would fully reject Girard's theory if he was still around or not.
