Page 112 - DSOC401_SOCIOLOGICAL_THOUGHT_ENGLISH

Sociological Thought Sukanya Das, Lovely Professional University

notes unit-17: theory of religion

contents
Objectives
Introduction

17.1 Subject Matter
17.2 Summary
17.3 Keywords
17.4 Review Questions
17.5 Further Readings

objectives

After studying this unit, the students will be able to:
y Understand the social side of Religion,
y Clear the Sociological theory of Religion,
y Clear the conviction of Totamvad,
y Understand the deep relation of society with Religion.

introduction

During the last years of his teaching life, Durkhim’s interest has grown in the reading of Religion. In
this vision, he took help from Robertson Smith and the Anthropological community of England. By
working closely on the Primitive Religion, he composed the above composition which was published
in 1912. In this deed, Durkhim has sufficiently highlighted on the origin of Religion on the basis of
solid proves. He made published his many research articles in this matter. With this, he tried to
clarify the forms and nature of Religion in this Granth by criticising the famous trends of the origin
of Religion.

17.1 subject matter

Shri Durkhim has presented the most detailed and subtle illustrations about the nature, reasons
of origin, and effects of religion. By his theory of religion, Durkhim has tried to prove that religion
is completely a social fact or a social incident and in this sense the symbol of morally collective
consciousness is Religion. In this context, Durkhim has been described the society as ‘Real God’.
By representing the real principle of religion, Durkhim has denied all the principles of religions. He
said that the reasons told about the origin of religion in these principles are not only insufficient but
unscientific also. Durkhim has denied the belief of all the scholars like Sarvashri for proving this.
Shri Taylor grounded the principle of subjectivism to explain the origion of religion. According to
that the notion of the spirit “is the basis of the philosophy of religion from the primitive men to the
civilized men.” The notion of spirit specifically occurred because of two types of experiences related
with daily life. They were (a) Death and (b) Dreams. The notion of body spirit derived on the basis

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