The “Pantheistic Temptation,” in political philosophy, is for a leader to interpret vox populi, the voice of the people, with vox Dei, the voice of God. This gives the elected leader a sense of being able to do whatever he or she wishes. Carl Schmitt wrote about this; however, he eventually became a National Socialist following Hitler who is a prime example of a leader succumbing to a Pantheistic Temptation. There are signs that Trump is vulnerable to a Pantheistic Temptation. Hannah Arendt makes the case that positive exemplars point the way of responding to those who become this kind of leader.

French-American thinker, René Girard, developed a transdisciplinary theoretical perspective centred on mimetic desire and scapegoating that is having a transformative effect in many fields and disciplines. His work has transformed our understanding of the human condition. His death on November 4, 2015 is being commemorated at Saint Paul University with a Glasmacher Lecture on the evening of November 3rd and a Colloquium on November 4th.