The mimetic theory of desire, an explanation of human behavior and culture, originated with the French historian, literary critic, and philosopher of social science René Girard (1923–2015).
The name of the theory derives from the philosophical concept mimesis, which carries a wide range of meanings.
Subject and model thus form a rivalry which eventually leads to the scapegoat mechanism.
[4] Girard believed that we cannot truly escape this mimetic desire, and that any attempts to do so would simply land you playing the game of mimesis on a different level.
[5] In more recent years, mimetic theory was expanded by colleagues and critics of Girard, including Jean-Pierre Dupuy from the angle of economics, Philippe Lacoue-Labarthe from the perspective of philosophy, and Nidesh Lawtoo from the angle of mimetic studies.