The Roots of Racism: Transcending Systemic Evil and Violence (The Barbaric Impulse, Part VII)

How do we make sense of the ubiquity of violence and evil throughout human history? In this episode—part of The Barbaric Impulse series—we explore how racism, violence, and all manners of evil are connected to a fear of impurity. Using René Girard’s mimetic theory, we explore how societies function by finding scapegoats to quell this fear of impurity and, ultimately, how we can choose to live free from the quest for power and violence, embracing a life of powerlessness instead—which becomes a life of unending power.