Analysis of Neopaganism and Nationalism in the Anthropology of Rene Girard

DOI: 10.33876/2311-0546/2022-2/320-332

Abstract

This article examines the theoretical legacy of Rene Girard, the French anthropologist. The text analyzes Girard's reflections on such phenomena as nationalism and neopaganism. The author examines his ideas about the genesis of these phenomena and the role of such girardian concepts as "mimetic desire", "mimetic violence" and "concern for victims" in their formation. As we learn from the work of Girard, he saw the origins of nationalism as an ideology in the spread of indiscernibility and resentment in modern societies since, along with the spread of egalitarianism, "mimetic rivalry" became ubiquitous in them. Girard's views on neopaganism can be found in "I See Satan Fall Like Lightning", where he distinguishes left and right wings in neopaganism, depending on their attitude to the cultural trend of "concern for victims". The article also offers an attempt to apply Girard's hypotheses and concepts to the study of Russian neopaganism, with examples from the history and texts of neopagan ideologues such as V.N. Emelyanov, G.P. Yakutovsky and N.N. Speransky.