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FROM THE ELEMENTARY FORMS OF THE RELIGIOUS LIFE

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P1: FAW/SPHP2: FAWEUBK004-15EUBK004-JosephMarch 28, 200514:26Char Count= 0FROMTHE ELEMENTARY FORMSOF THE RELIGIOUS LIFE ́Emile DurkheimNo doubt, when all we do is consider the formulas literally, these religiousbeliefs and practices appear disconcerting, and our inclination might beto write them off to some sort of inborn aberration. But we must knowhow to reach beneath the symbol to grasp the reality it represents and thatgives the symbol its true meaning. The most bizarre or barbarous rites andthe strangest myths translate some human need and some aspect of life,whether social or individual. The reasons the faithful settle for in justifyingthose rites and myths may be mistaken, and most often are; but the truereasons exist nonetheless, and it is the business of science to uncover them.Fundamentally, then, there are no religions that are false. All are trueafter their own fashion: All fulfill given conditions of human existence,though in different ways. Granted, it is not impossible to rank them hi-erarchically. Some can be said to be superior to others, in the sense thatthey bring higher mental faculties into play, that they are richer in ideasand feelings, that they contain proportionately more concepts than sensa-tions and images, and that they are more elaborately systematized. But thegreater complexity and higher ideal content, however real, are not sufficientto place the corresponding religions into separate genera. All are equallyreligious, just as all living beings are equally living beings, from the hum-blest plastid to man. If I address myself to primitive religions, then, it is notwith any ulterior motive of disparaging religion in general: these religionsare to be respected no less than the others. They fulfill the same needs, play ́Emile Durkheim (1995),The Elementary Forms of the Religious Life,New York: Free Press.110
© 2022, Edinburgh University Press, Edinburgh

P1: FAW/SPHP2: FAWEUBK004-15EUBK004-JosephMarch 28, 200514:26Char Count= 0FROMTHE ELEMENTARY FORMSOF THE RELIGIOUS LIFE ́Emile DurkheimNo doubt, when all we do is consider the formulas literally, these religiousbeliefs and practices appear disconcerting, and our inclination might beto write them off to some sort of inborn aberration. But we must knowhow to reach beneath the symbol to grasp the reality it represents and thatgives the symbol its true meaning. The most bizarre or barbarous rites andthe strangest myths translate some human need and some aspect of life,whether social or individual. The reasons the faithful settle for in justifyingthose rites and myths may be mistaken, and most often are; but the truereasons exist nonetheless, and it is the business of science to uncover them.Fundamentally, then, there are no religions that are false. All are trueafter their own fashion: All fulfill given conditions of human existence,though in different ways. Granted, it is not impossible to rank them hi-erarchically. Some can be said to be superior to others, in the sense thatthey bring higher mental faculties into play, that they are richer in ideasand feelings, that they contain proportionately more concepts than sensa-tions and images, and that they are more elaborately systematized. But thegreater complexity and higher ideal content, however real, are not sufficientto place the corresponding religions into separate genera. All are equallyreligious, just as all living beings are equally living beings, from the hum-blest plastid to man. If I address myself to primitive religions, then, it is notwith any ulterior motive of disparaging religion in general: these religionsare to be respected no less than the others. They fulfill the same needs, play ́Emile Durkheim (1995),The Elementary Forms of the Religious Life,New York: Free Press.110
© 2022, Edinburgh University Press, Edinburgh

Chapters in this book

  1. Frontmatter i
  2. CONTENTS v
  3. INTRODUCTION 1
  4. Part 1 MARX AND ENGELS: CONFLICT AND DISSENT
  5. INTRODUCTION 7
  6. PREFACE TO A CONTRIBUTION TO THE CRITIQUE OF POLITICAL ECONOMY 14
  7. FROM ‘THE FETISHISM OF THE COMMODITY AND ITS SECRET’ 19
  8. FROM ‘THE COMMUNIST MANIFESTO’ 25
  9. FROM THE EIGHTEENTH BRUMAIRE OF LOUIS BONAPARTE 36
  10. FROM ECONOMIC AND PHILOSOPHICAL MANUSCRIPTS 41
  11. RECENT THEORIES OF THE CAPITALIST STATE 50
  12. Part 2 GRAMSCI: THEORIST OF HEGEMONY
  13. INTRODUCTION 63
  14. THE MODERN PRINCE: BRIEF NOTES ON MACHIAVELLI’S POLITICS 69
  15. THE MODERN PRINCE: ANALYSIS OF SITUATIONS. RELATIONS OF FORCE 76
  16. FROM ‘STATE AND CIVIL SOCIETY' 83
  17. THE INTELLECTUALS 89
  18. FROM ‘AMERICANISM AND FORDISM’ 95
  19. Part 3 DURKHEIM AND FUNCTIONALISM
  20. INTRODUCTION 103
  21. FROM THE ELEMENTARY FORMS OF THE RELIGIOUS LIFE 110
  22. FROM THE DIVISION OF LABOUR IN SOCIETY 116
  23. FROM SUICIDE 131
  24. Part 4 WEBER AND RATIONALISM
  25. INTRODUCTION 139
  26. FROM ‘POLITICS AS A VOCATION’ 146
  27. FROM ‘BUREAUCRACY’ 152
  28. CLASS, STATUS, PARTY 165
  29. WITHOUT REGARD FOR PERSONS 178
  30. Part 5 CULTURE AND COMMUNICATION IN THE FRANKFURT SCHOOL
  31. INTRODUCTION 193
  32. FROM ‘THE CONCEPT OF ENLIGHTENMENT’ 201
  33. FROM ‘THE CULTURE INDUSTRY: ENLIGHTENMENT AS MASS DECEPTION’ 212
  34. FROM ‘THE NEW FORMS OF CONTROL’ 220
  35. EXTACTS FROM THE THEORY OF COMMUNICATIVE ACTION, VOL. 2 228
  36. Part 6 FOUCAULT: DISCOURSE, POWER AND REGULATION
  37. INTRODUCTION 245
  38. FROM ‘THE CARCERAL’ 253
  39. Michel Foucault 261
  40. WRITING THE HISTORY OF THE PRESENT 269
  41. BIBLIOGRAPHY 281
  42. FURTHER READING 285
  43. COPYRIGHT ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 287
  44. INDEX 291
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https://doi.org/10.1515/9781474469654-016

Chapters in this book

  1. Frontmatter i
  2. CONTENTS v
  3. INTRODUCTION 1
  4. Part 1 MARX AND ENGELS: CONFLICT AND DISSENT
  5. INTRODUCTION 7
  6. PREFACE TO A CONTRIBUTION TO THE CRITIQUE OF POLITICAL ECONOMY 14
  7. FROM ‘THE FETISHISM OF THE COMMODITY AND ITS SECRET’ 19
  8. FROM ‘THE COMMUNIST MANIFESTO’ 25
  9. FROM THE EIGHTEENTH BRUMAIRE OF LOUIS BONAPARTE 36
  10. FROM ECONOMIC AND PHILOSOPHICAL MANUSCRIPTS 41
  11. RECENT THEORIES OF THE CAPITALIST STATE 50
  12. Part 2 GRAMSCI: THEORIST OF HEGEMONY
  13. INTRODUCTION 63
  14. THE MODERN PRINCE: BRIEF NOTES ON MACHIAVELLI’S POLITICS 69
  15. THE MODERN PRINCE: ANALYSIS OF SITUATIONS. RELATIONS OF FORCE 76
  16. FROM ‘STATE AND CIVIL SOCIETY' 83
  17. THE INTELLECTUALS 89
  18. FROM ‘AMERICANISM AND FORDISM’ 95
  19. Part 3 DURKHEIM AND FUNCTIONALISM
  20. INTRODUCTION 103
  21. FROM THE ELEMENTARY FORMS OF THE RELIGIOUS LIFE 110
  22. FROM THE DIVISION OF LABOUR IN SOCIETY 116
  23. FROM SUICIDE 131
  24. Part 4 WEBER AND RATIONALISM
  25. INTRODUCTION 139
  26. FROM ‘POLITICS AS A VOCATION’ 146
  27. FROM ‘BUREAUCRACY’ 152
  28. CLASS, STATUS, PARTY 165
  29. WITHOUT REGARD FOR PERSONS 178
  30. Part 5 CULTURE AND COMMUNICATION IN THE FRANKFURT SCHOOL
  31. INTRODUCTION 193
  32. FROM ‘THE CONCEPT OF ENLIGHTENMENT’ 201
  33. FROM ‘THE CULTURE INDUSTRY: ENLIGHTENMENT AS MASS DECEPTION’ 212
  34. FROM ‘THE NEW FORMS OF CONTROL’ 220
  35. EXTACTS FROM THE THEORY OF COMMUNICATIVE ACTION, VOL. 2 228
  36. Part 6 FOUCAULT: DISCOURSE, POWER AND REGULATION
  37. INTRODUCTION 245
  38. FROM ‘THE CARCERAL’ 253
  39. Michel Foucault 261
  40. WRITING THE HISTORY OF THE PRESENT 269
  41. BIBLIOGRAPHY 281
  42. FURTHER READING 285
  43. COPYRIGHT ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 287
  44. INDEX 291
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