Professor Emile Durkheim on the origin of religion

Professor Emile Durkheim on the origin of religion

Professor Emile Durkheim primary purpose has been to study the origin of religion through the use of relevant theories of knowledge. According to Emile Durkheim, it inevitable that religion has a real existence and the use of sociology can only explain this through outliving all the critics and the objectives that have earlier been argued against it. As a result, Emile Durkheim believes that the fact must be found like the things as there is no single sociological law or any institution based on error or falsehood can survive. Emile Durkheim answers all these questions emphasizing his point that religion has its deep roots in reality that otherwise correspond to all the human needs and wants. His way of explaining may be different in comparison to some of the reasons that have been put forward by the believer’s perspectives. However, such reason exists, and it is the responsibility of the learned to differentiate and discover them.

Durkheim approaches the question of religion differently by avoiding the study of so many religions and instead of confining his attention to one primitive and most simple one. This form of religion is the one that exists among people, and it does not need any detailed explanation. The main reason behind this that sociology should at first focus on the issues that are easy to resolve before focusing on the complex one. Through this, Professor Emile Durkheim has been able to address all the problems that have been raised in the Study Sociology of Religion and Theories of Knowledge.

According to Emile Durkheim, it is clear that there is a very close relationship between the society and the religion that has been explained under the structural-functional approach. Durkheim’s argues that religion is in a way the worship and the celebration of human society. Under the structural-functional approach, Durkheim has proposed that religion has set up three majors functions within the society. To start with, religion is the primary source of social cohesion that enables the maintenance of social solidarity, trough the shared beliefs and rituals. In addition, religious forms the basis of social control that, on the other hand, enforces the religious-based norms and morals that maintains control and the conformity in society. Finally, religion has been identified to give purpose and meaning in answering any existential question that needs or requires an answer.

Emile Durkheim views did not stop at this point; he further positioned himself in a position of positivist tradition that means he thought his study of religion and society as scientific and dispassionate. He was extremely attracted in the dilemma of what held complex modern societies collectively. Religion for Durkheim is genuine, and a real expression of how society looks like and there is no single society in all parts of the world that does not have a religion. Human beings express themselves as religious groups that otherwise enhances the symbolic power grater, according to Durkheim. We show our collective consciousness by the use of religion which forms the fusion of every individual consciousness and then later creating a reality of its own.