I wrote this (among other things) at the end of the first chapter in my copy of The Scapegoat: “The first chapter traces a kind of trajectory towards Lacan and Badiou.” I would like to articulate this without, if this is possible, leaving the text of the first chapter.
I think it is worth noting, from the very start, that The Scapegoat opens on a literary note, that Girard gives himself to his readers as a through-and-through literary critic. This would of course be of no surprise to someone familiar with Girard’s work (as is made quite clear in the biographical links Cheryl has provided us), but I think it does come as a surprise to those coming to Girard for the first time. I suppose I expected something more overtly political, or more overtly abstract, maybe something more overtly “philosophical.” Let me be sure to add: I was profoundly relieved by what I found. Read the rest of this entry »
