René Girard’s concept of the scapegoat is useful to understanding fascist and Nazi anti-semitism. The concept explains how once a society is in crisis, the members of that society would place the blame of all that has gone wrong, be it economic downturn or cultural decay, on either a group of people or a single individual. According to Girard the only way to resolve the issue is by expelling the scapegoat or killing them. Now it is clear to say that the idea of the scapegoat plays an important role in antisemitism and brings antisemitic policies into motion as can be seen in 20th century Germany and Italy.
These two example of societies practicing discriminatory and antisemitic laws against a minority who’s alleged crimes are not demonstrated by hard evidence, reveals an imbedded prejudice found in early Christianity. In the case of the Jews in Germany and Italy, history discloses that they are a common group who hold the responsibility and the woes of the societies in which they live. Myths have long been the basis of defending discriminatory actions action the Jewish people and have penetrated the minds of fascist and Nazi leader who saw the Jews as a threat to the well being of the society as a whole. René Girard’s concept of ‘the scapegoat’ explains that collective persecution occurs when mimetic rivalries cause agitation within a society that it erupts into violence which is carried out by a “mob” or crowd. This violence is aimed at a particular individual due to stereotypes and perceptions, this individual is known as the scapegoat. If the scapegoat was not ‘chosen’, the violence would otherwise be aimed at the members of the society which wouldn’t be acceptable because a modern society would want to serve and guard it’s members.
The cultural attitude of the German society during the 19th century in relation to the Jews was that they were different to the Germans, were rivals of the Germans and were harmful to society.The concept of ‘the scapegoat’ states that rivalry results in violence and Jews were seen as an opponent rather than an equal member of the society. It also suggests that difference between these rivals is the basis for the tension between them. Europe saw the Jews quite differently compared to their perception of them during the 20th century. In early Christianity, Jews were seen as a religious group and so those opposed to Judaism then would have been considered theologically antisemitic or anti-Jewish rather than anti-semitic. Early Christianity began recognising the racial influence within Judaism and began focusing of the racial aspect of Jewishness rather than the theological part. Similarly, modern times and in Germany, the racial uniqueness and difference of the Jews was seen as something which united them by a common lineage, a culture and language of their own.
German culture believed that Jewishness and good human attributes could not coexist, according to their perception, there were good people, bad people and then there were the Jews. In order for a Jew to be successful they must reject their Jewish identity. “Ethnic and religious minorities tend to polarize the majorities against themselves. There are very few societies that do not subject their minorities- to certain forms of discrimination and even persecution.” This is one of the ways, according to Girard, societies choose a victim to persecute. In a modern society, groups of people that are similar in differences, such as belonging to the same ethnic group or class are chosen to be subjected to discrimination in the form of violence if that society wants to rid itself of those people which it already sees as burden due to the society feeling as though it had to accommodate for the groups difference.
The idea of Jews purposefully setting out to cause harm to society has long been a myth associate with the Jewish people. Many sources cite the myth that Jews were poisoning rivers during the plague to illustrate how anti-Semites use the idea of an individual or group of people harming a society despite there being no real evidence of them doing such a thing. It does not take much effort to convince a society like the German society in the 19th century that the Jews were to be blamed for everything bad that happens in their communities. This was because German antisemitism was not established during the Nazi reign but can be found in Christianity and the literature of Christian philosophers that followed. The first and foremost important idea is that the New Testament mentions that the Jews killed Jesus Christ, the most important religious figure of 19th century Germany, “The Jews, who both killed the Lord Jesus and their own prophets, and have persecuted.”
Jesus is a figure central to not only Christianity but also to the concept of violence and scapegoating. Jesus is the ultimate scapegoat and his crucifixion and resurrection encompasses the ideas of human violence, mimesis, self-sacrifice, dehumanisation, divinity and godliness. Girard uses the example of Jesus to illustrate the concept of scapegoating. More specific to the antisemitism of German society was the teachings of Martin Luther, a German philosopher who acclaimed that the Jews were “bloodthirsty and vengeful people.” His writing expresses a jealously of the Jewish lineage and their “boostfulness” of their heritage irritate him.
“Anti-Semites came to see everything that was awry in society, from social organisation, to political movements, to economic troubles as being linked to, if not derived from Jews.” According to Girard, this is the first stage of myth as these characteristics and affiliations that the Jews were accused of possessing in Nazi Germany had no basis. However, the second stage of the myth is that the Jew or scapegoat is made sacred. Ultimately this means that the death of the scapegoat brings the scapegoat to the level of a ‘deity’ or a godlike figure.This only occurs after the sacrifice which is then followed by the resolution between the two rivalries who are now friends. Order in society becomes the responsibility of the sacred, previously known as the scapegoat and society divert from religion and culture.The second stage of the myth no longer occurs in modern societies according to Girard. Therefore, in the modern day, this part of the concept of the scapegoat cannot be applied. Society now is at a point where ethnic minorities break away from their previous persecutor or rival and develop their communities so that they can seek independence. The Jewish community of Europe were able to move back to the Middle-East, thus their previous persecutor would not have had a choice but to find a resolution for the greater good of the international community.
Sources and Further Reading:
Girard, René. The Scapegoat. U.S. The Johns Hopkins University Press 1986
Girard, René. Violence and the Sacred . Johns Hopkins University Press, 2005
Goldhagen, Daniel. Hitler’s Willing Executioners: Ordinary Germans and the Holocaust. U.S., Alfred A. Knopf, Inc, 1996
Luther, Martin. On the Jews and their lies. Trans. Martin H. Bertram. Internet: Fortress Press & Augsburg Fortress, 1971
Michaelis, Meir. Mussolini and the Jews: German-Italian Relations and the Jewish Question in Italy 1922-1945. Clarendon Press, Oxford, 1978
Bernardini, Gene, “The origins and development of racial anti-Semitism in fascist Italy”, JMH, 49 (1977): pages. 431-453
Hodge, Joel, “Why do humans commit violence? Violence, War and Rioting in the Modern World and René Girard’s Mimetic Theory”, Compass, Vol.45 Issue 3 (2011): pages. 3-12
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