"Each party progresses rapidly in discovering the truth about the other, without ever discovering the truth about himself."
Rene Girard's brilliant analysis of Oedipus Rex: it is the *similarity* between Oedipus, Creon, & Tiresias that underlies the chain-reaction of violence.
Rene Girard's brilliant analysis of Oedipus Rex: it is the *similarity* between Oedipus, Creon, & Tiresias that underlies the chain-reaction of violence.
@cblatts I can confirm Violence & the Sacred needs to go on your pile, esp. ch. 1 on vengeance as a chain-reaction
& how rule agst shedding blood and the rule to take revenge are the same rule ("it's because they hate violence that men must seek vengeance")
& how rule agst shedding blood and the rule to take revenge are the same rule ("it's because they hate violence that men must seek vengeance")
& how preservation of community gives rise to a need to distinguish good (violence-curing) violence from bad (violence-generating) violence
& how the institution of sacrifice has role of maintaining this distinction in the absence of a judicial system.
& how the institution of sacrifice has role of maintaining this distinction in the absence of a judicial system.
"Religion is man's protection from his own violence"
And so much more. It's truly great.
And so much more. It's truly great.
