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Call for Papers | Theories of Culture 2026: René Girard. Mimetic Desire
October 30 All day
November 16 and 18 | 17:00 p.m. to 20:00 p.m. (Colombia) | Virtual format
Registration until October 30, 2026
The Culture and Nation Group of the Center for Social Studies (CES) of the National University of Colombia presents the open seminar “Theories of Culture 2026: René Girard. Mimetic Desire” , dedicated to the analysis and interpretation of the work of the French philosopher and anthropologist René Girard (1923-2015).
The seminar will address his contributions to the understanding of the genesis of culture and structural violence in human communities, as well as his developments on desire and the mimetic process, rivalry, the sacrificial crisis, the scapegoat, ignorance, the origin of culture, and sacred violence.
The proposal consists of two programmatic sessions , in which the main conceptual aspects will be presented and guided by questions to stimulate discussion. Participants will receive the materials for each session in advance.
Session 1 – Main Concepts
mimetic process, mimetic desire, mimetic rivalry, mimetic or sacrificial crisis, scapegoat, ignorance, origin of culture and sacred violence.
Monday, November 16, 2026 | 17:00 PM to 20:00 PM (Colombia)
Session 2 – Fields of application
Literature (Shakespearean cultures), Anthropology (violence/sacred), Philosophy (Dark Enlightenment), Psychoanalysis (desire/mimetic desire), Theology (Liberation Theology) and Politics (Neoreactionaries NRx).
Wednesday, November 18, 2026 | 17:00 PM to 20:00 PM (Colombia)
Coordinator: Dr. Jorge Enrique González, Center for Social Studies (CES).
Organized by: Culture and Nation Group of the Center for Social Studies (CES), National University of Colombia.
The activity is open and free , with prior registration through the following form: https://forms.gle/i1vFPs6ToS7XesUo6
The sessions will be held via Google Meet and will last three hours each. A certificate of participation will be awarded to those who attend both sessions.
