Mimesis

Abstract

In the context of the social sciences, "mimesis" is understood not only as a concept of aesthetics, but as a much broader anthropological concept. Such an understanding of the term can draw on Aristotle, according to whom humans acquire their first knowledge mimetically and also later relate to other humans and the world mimetically. The capacity for mimesis is a conditio humana tied to the early birth of humans, their residual instinctual endowment, and the hiatus between stimulus and response. Mimetic processes are processes of imitation and becoming similar. Since imitations never produce the same thing, they are at the same time processes of (independent) re-creation. In them there is a reference to other people, social situations, other worlds, often with the intention to become similar to them. Mimetic processes refer to given and represented realities and thereby also generate relations of representation. Neuroscientific research on the mirror neuron system confirms the great anthropological importance of mimetic processes for our entanglement with the world. According to this research, we enact something, generate the corresponding constellations within us, and thereby become capable of resonance and understanding. Comparative research in evolutionary anthropology regarding the mimetic capacity of young children also makes it clear that young children are far superior to non-human primates in this respect.

Keywords: mimesis, imitation, education, learning, anthropology