Durkheim on religion
- Created by: Emily Uffindell
- Created on: 27-08-14 12:50
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- Durkheim on religion
- The sacred and profane
- The key feature of religion is the distinction between the sacred and profane.
- Sacred: Things set apart and forbidden that inspire feelings of awe, fear and wonder and are surrounded by taboos and prohibitions.
- Religion is never just a set of beliefs but sacred, collective rituals (rituals performed by social groups).
- Sacred things evoke such powerful feelings in believers because they are symbols representing things of great power.
- This thing can only be society itself, since society is the only thing powerful enough to command such feelings.
- When people are worshipping sacred symbols, they are worshipping society.
- Although sacred symbols vary from religion to religion, they all perform the essential function of uniting believers into a single moral community.
- Profane: things that have no special significance and are ordinary and mundane.
- Sacred: Things set apart and forbidden that inspire feelings of awe, fear and wonder and are surrounded by taboos and prohibitions.
- The key feature of religion is the distinction between the sacred and profane.
- The sacred and profane
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