Things Hidden Since the Foundation of the World (French: Des choses cachées depuis la fondation du monde) [1] is a 1978 book by the French critic René Girard; it presents a dialogue between Girard and the psychiatrists Jean-Michel Oughourlian and Guy Lefort.

Things Hidden Since the Foundation of the World contains a comprehensive overview of Girard's work up to that point, and a reflection on the Judaeo-Christian texts.

[3] Girard's explicates three core mechanisms that govern widespread social interactions: Mimetic theory posits that human behavior is based upon mimesis, and that imitation can engender pointless conflict.

"[4] Things Hidden Since the Foundation of the World was first published in French in 1978 by Éditions Grasset & Fasquelle.

[5] The book became a national bestseller in France, and according to Chris Fleming offers "very substantial" reflection on the Judaeo-Christian texts and provoked "intense (and often heated) discussion in the upper echelons of the French academy.