Fetishism is a belief that there is some living spirit in the non living objects. Marett argues, religion is not so much an intellectual endeavour as a set of profound emotional responses to various aspects or consider emotional factor to be called emotive theories and these are discussed below: According to the celebrated psychologist Wilhelm Wundt religion is simply projection of fear into the environment, and according to Otto religion is identical with numinous feeling. He focused on the sociology of religion, such as the relationship between religious ideas and commitments, with other sociological aspects, such as human behaviour in relation to economics Parsons, 1964, p xx). If you are interested in faith-based theories, we suggest that you do a search on Google with a search string like: origin Christianity. Another function of religion, according to Durkheim, is that religion provides a sense of purpose, meaning and comfort (Macionis and Plummer, 2008, p612). Thus, religion functions to bind society's members by prompting them to affirm their common values and beliefs on a regular basis. Privacy Policy We're here to answer any questions you have about our services. Content Guidelines He examines how different religious traditions and their structures influence society, particularly in relation to the economy and capitalism. Religion comes in as a substitute to fill up the vacuum created by displacement of the father. Freud believes that religion has played a great part in the making of societies. Comte gave birth not only to a specific methodology of studying knowledge but also analyzed the evolution of human thinking and its various stages. After theological and metaphysical thinking comes the next stage known as scientific or positive stage. Sample Essay on Religion. All the articles you read in this site are contributed by users like you, with a single vision to liberate knowledge. Auguste Comte is regarded to be the father of sociology. Flashcards. The perception that morality relies on religion holds that absence of religion means that there would be no morality since moral codes emanate from religion, and moral StudentShare Our website is a unique platform where students can share their papers in a matter of giving an example of the work to be done. As the very term monotheism implies, at this level of human thinking a belief in one God had replaced the earlier belief in many gods. Under metaphysical thinking, belief in an abstract transcendental entity or Absolute replaces the belief in personal concrete God. Apart from theories which seek to explain religion with reference to some stable characteristics or traits in man, whether intellectual or emotional, there ate theories which instead of considering any particular factor or trait lay stress on laws, whether social or psychological. STUDY. Essay Sauce is the free student essay website for college and university students. Ordinarily, it is believed that evolution of religion takes the form of a steady decline in number of gods that is a movement from polytheism to monotheism. There are no direct means to confirm the metaphysical knowledge. Durkheim holds a collectivist view of society, exploring it from the perspective that religion has a cohesive effect on people through sharing values, symbols and social norms (Macionis and Plummer, 2008, p611). However, this primal act and ensuing guilt are the psychological causes of belief in father-god whose wrath has to be placed through sacrifice. Weber’s most prominent work, “The Protestant ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism”, discussed the interaction between religion and economic aspects. These theories define what they present as universal characteristics of religious belief and practice. The appearance of conflicting and opposite forces in the world presented problems which could not be successfully tackled by monotheism. Sociology Schmidt and Andrew Lang religion began with a primordial monotheism which later changed (either developed or degenerated) into polytheism, animism and magic. 3. Description According to Durkheim, a religious system is best described as primitive if it exists in a society that lacks the simplest form of organization, and explaining the religious system does not require any further reference from previous forms of religion. Write. As the magician believes that nature can be overwhelmed and instrumentalized for personal benefit through magical spells, in the very same manner, religious man believes in the existence of spirits that must be pleased and cajoled by prayers, rather than overwhelmed by magic formulas, though religionist, like magician, seeks to understand the mechanism of nature and control it. His view was that the religious symbols and imagery are used by society to encourage conformity, and instil these into cultural norms. This approach asserts that people have faith because beliefs make sense insofar as they hold value and are comprehensible. Religion has been highly influential through the course of human history as a source of influence. You can view samples of our professional work here. In order to resolve this intellectual puzzle or riddle metaphysical thinking was invented. “Suicide” discussed diminishing social bonds in modern society, and this influences patterns of suicide. As regards religion, an ideal type is the distinctive characteristics of a religion. But as R.R. However, according to Wm. According to Emile Durkheim religion is one of the ways of accomplishing socialization, that is, integration, accommodation and adjustment of social and personal needs. This research aims to explore religious theories by Mircea Eliade and Emile Durkheim, and present a comparison of the views expressed. Religion, therefore, has its origin in man’s attempt to project into the universe a belief in a cosmic father or God to give him support he once had from his human father. According to Sir James Frazer, religion developed out of an original magical stage of human culture. Although he also thought in evolutionary terms, he was more engaged by systems of meaning, which can be interpreted (Parsons, 1964, xxvii). Democracy. Durkheim's theory of religion exemplifies how functionalists examine sociological phenomena. The metaphysical or abstract thinking marks the second stage in the evolution of human thinking. The citizens of such a region or country have equal participation in electing their leaders. Weber was particularly interested in the cultural and non-economic sources related to social action. Looking for a flexible role? Copyright © 2003 - 2020 - UKEssays is a trading name of All Answers Ltd, a company registered in England and Wales. It was difficult to believe that the same God was responsible for primordial creation as well as destruction. In the process each investigator, irrespective of his personal attitudes, encountered the ineluctable fact that no account of human behaviour and social change is adequate which ignores the singular role and value of religious ideas and motives, dogmas and beliefs, faith and superstition in human behaviour. Test. Fetishism implies undue emotional attachment to some object. Durkheim's theory of religion exemplifies how functionalists examine sociological phenomena. Nobody knows with … Like Durkheim, Weber recognised that there is not a known society, that doesn’t include something that can be classified as religion (Parson, 1964, p xxvii). During his lifetime, he published extensively. According to scholars subscribing to this view all the great symbols of the world’s religions were personifications of natural phenomena; the sun, moon, stars, storms, the seasons of the year. Leading experts engage with contemporary and classical theories as well as non-Western cultural contexts. Any opinions, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of UKEssays.com. The usual and unintelligible events of nature tend man towards theological or fictitious interpretation of these events. Under metaphysical thinking it is believed that an abstract power or force guides and determines the events in the world. Registered office: Venture House, Cross Street, Arnold, Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, NG5 7PJ. Durkheim suggests it strengthens a person’s moral and feeing of “guardian support”. Religion can be recognised in every culture around the world. This essay on Marx Weber Theories of Religion Sociology was written and submitted by your fellow student. Accordingly, in order to understand and appreciate the phenomenon of religion in its anthropological perspective, we must briefly know the various scientific and empirical approaches to the study of religion which are being made today. A fundamental feature of any theory of religion is, or should be, an explanation of the link between the two most observed aspects of religion, the individual aspect and the social aspect. This is the descriptive approach towards religion and this is precisely the approach being followed by modern psychologists of religion. Marx’s views are much more optimistic than Weber’s idealistic pessimistic views. Specifically the psychological built of it. The divine laws are as a matter of fact the most crucial laws of a given society. Essay on the theories of origin of marriage. They are really about society and its claims upon the man. Learn. He identified the functions of religion in society. The more evolved and developed form than that of Fetishism is known as Polytheism. aland94. The Ghost theory explains the origin of Religion in the idea of Ghosts. How many stages of growth, all societies pass through, has been suggested by centre? It includes such facts as celebration, despair, ethical vigour, mystery, retreat, social activism, monastic quietude, contemplation, animal sacrifice, rituals involving pain and terror, images of hope, symbols of fear, the affirmation of life and struggle against death, creative growth, unthinking … Email: g.levy1@lse.ac.uk; r.razin@lse.ac.uk. He recognised that society was becoming more individualist, however he believed that this collectivist society still existed but in another form. Religious phenomenon. At some point in history, sons rebelled against the father, killed him and distributed the females among themselves. Write. Marx, Weber, Eliade, Evans Pritchard, Geertz, Livingston. This indicates that religion suggests the ideals of society, instead of explaining it (Durkheim, 1976, p420). From the facts we generalize and draw conclusions. We've received widespread press coverage since 2003, Your UKEssays purchase is secure and we're rated 4.4/5 on reviews.co.uk. He regards it as one of the ties uniting the community members. He studied the subjective meaning and views of religion, and its cultural and historical origins, as well as how these produce institutional practices (Dillon, 2010, p117). If people share a religion, the shared beliefs values and symbols, they are united by these, therefore it religion as a cohesive among these people. The principle evolved by Comte in the study of human thinking presumes gradual evolution and development in human thinking and is known as the law of three stages because, according to it, human thought has undergone three separate stages in its evolution and development. In early phases of religion we find stones, trees and such objects given extreme reverence and worshipped. Each god had some definite function and his scope and area of action was determined. Unfortunately,there is no current consensus on a precise identification of thenecessary and sufficient conditions of what counts as a religion. Sociological Theories. Weber theories are based much on his ideal types, not best types but types that are of the purest kind. Even in scientific thinking some traces of earlier types are to be usually found. The following essay will deal with the science based theories of the origin of religion. The topic I have chosen to discuss is religion, as theorised by Emile Durkheim and Max Weber. Such factors include race, ethnicity, social class, or neighborhoods. He believed that religion played a role of stereotyping within society, as it structures and preserves social groups and relationship and provides a social identity for groups. Do you have a 2:1 degree or higher? The first and primary stage in theological thinking is that of fetishism. Such factors include race, ethnicity, social class, or neighborhoods. According to some scholars, the universe used to be a highly compressed mass and then there was a bang and that s how the Universe was born (Fox 9). The examples of fetishistic thinking can be seen from the widespread belief among rural people in India that some deities reside in trees. Religion Sociology Essay 1191 Words | 5 Pages. Instead, they prefer objective or careful observation of what men actually do while engaging themselves in various religious activities. When discussing the origin of religion, it's important to remember the term 'religion' is broad and far... Max Muller. “The Elementary Forms of Religious Life” examines how the social origins and function of religion and beliefs associated with it, and how they are reinforced by rituals and ceremonies (Calhoun, 2007, p136). The monotheistic thinking symbolizes the victory of human intellect and reason over non-intellectual and irrational thinking. This is not an example of the work produced by our Essay Writing Service. Durkheim also claims that we organize life into the sacred and the profane, and neither can exist without the other (Durkheim, 1976, p308). Each natural or human force had a presiding deity. But he also admits that religion has profound emotional basis. A personal and concrete God could not account for the simultaneous creation and annihilation. If people share a religion, the shared beliefs values and symbols, they are united by these, therefore it religion as a cohesive among these people. Freud suggested that primitive man originally existed in a patriarchal society where the father had absolute right over all desirable females. Match. Durkheim was interested in providing a scientific basis for sociology and defining sociology as field of study which he discusses in “The Rules of Sociological Method” (Calhoun, et, al., 2007, p 135). Sample Essay on Religion Religion is an aspect of the society’s way of life, implying that factors that affect the society’s way of life will have an impact on religious views. Our mission is to liberate knowledge. From the Latin religio (respect for what is sacred) and religare (to bind, in the sense of an obligation), the term religion describes various systems of belief and practice that define what people consider to be sacred or spiritual (Fasching and deChant 2001; Durkheim 1915). In the following pages we shall discuss these stages briefly: The first or primary stage of human thinking is theological or fictitious. Gravity. This essay will explore the different viewpoints each theories take on subjects such as religion, community, family and education. Sigmund Freud (1856–1939) and Karl Marx (1818–1883) both authored prominent humanistic theories of religion with scientific or quasi-scientific pretensions. This, he says, is how the social institution of religion works, therefore it is society itself that is the source of the action guided by religion (Durkheim, 1976, p418). The explanation of natural events in non-natural, divine, or imaginary conditions is known as theological or fictitious thinking. Karl Marx and Max Weber were influential sociologists that paved the way for modern... Sociology and Emile Durkheim. As a matter of fact all these theories are highly speculative and conjectural and there are no adequate methods of verifying or diversifying them. Compare and contrast the theories and methods of Emile Durkheim and … His research was halted by a period of serious depression, however, most of his prominent work was carried out after his breakdown, such as “The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism” (Calhoun, et al., 2007, p206). It has been explained by Divine Command Theory. These three theories on human development each have their own good points and frauds. According to the great anthropologist Edward Tylor, religion had its origin in primitive man’s belief that non-physical substances like soul inhabited the physical and inanimate objects like stones, trees etc. The primitive man and children do not have the scientific outlook. According to Durkheim, people see religion as contributing to the health and continuation of society in general. What is the distinction between magic, science and religion? He maintained that religion interacted with other social and cultural aspects (Harrington, 2005, p67). Gilbert Ryle created a method referred to as "thick description." Max Weber was born in Germany in 1964 to a Protestant family. Therefore, modern scholars have abandoned the approach of tracing the origin of the religion. Spell. Gilbert Ryle created a method referred to as "thick description." study of religion in The Elementary Forms of Religious Life is widely renowned to be one of the founding theories and definitions of the sociology of religion. Match. VAT Registration No: 842417633. PreserveArticles.com is an online article publishing site that helps you to submit your knowledge so that it may be preserved for eternity. He believed that the new individualist forms of religion were simply another form of collectivist forms in society (Durkheim, 1976, p425). Before publishing your Article on this site, please read the following pages: 1. Weber introduced the “ideal type” in order to measure and compare social phenomenon. These conclusions in turn are subjected to verification and once verified these become established laws, which can be relied upon in gathering and classifying the facts. Therefore, sociologists examine it in order to understand why religion and the beliefs and practices associated with religion, are so significant and the position they play within society (Macionis & Plummer, 2008, p610). PLAY. Thus dreams convinced the primitive man of the existence of spirits and this conviction became, according to Tylor, the basis of religious beliefs. Religious Studies 37, 177-189 Printed in the United Kingdom (C 2001 Cambridge University Press A theory of religion revised JIM STONE Philosophy Depar-tment, University of New Orleans, New Orleans, LA 70148 Abstract: This essay is a revision of my earlier effort to overturn the prevailing Nobody knows with … No plagiarism, guaranteed! This is also known as animism. Psychologist William James refutes the theory that there is in man a specific emotion which may be considered either a cause of religion or religious experience per se. Study for free with our range of university lectures! Durkheim was born in 1958 in France. Flashcards. From simple essay plans, through to full dissertations, you can guarantee we have a service perfectly matched to your needs. He suggests that as a result of this, religion underlies our moral and emotional links with others. Auguste Comte is of the opinion that all human thinking before reaching the stage of positivism must have passed through the two earlier stages of theological and metaphysical thinking. In his earlier writing, “The future of an illusion,” he regards religion as an illusion, which is equivalent to atheism. Durkheim also studied the social phenomena of religion in relation to how it constrains social behaviour (Dillon, 2010, p118). They are, therefore, seen to engage in the worship of trees etc. Durkheim wrote extensively in the area of religion. Karl Marx viewed religion as a social control used by the bourgeoisie to keep the proletariat to maintain the status quo in a given society. This paper is aimed at discussing the views of this sociologist. The above four theories are known as intellectual origin theories, because they assume that the primary source and value of religion is seeking answer to some questions. Specifically the psychological built of it. Durkheim and Weber both carried out their work around the turn of the 19th century. Democracy can be defined as a form of government where all the citizens in the country have equal rights to make a decision in electing their leaders. Because I believe that he offers such interesting and important points that can help us understand the way our brain interprets these concepts and why. to fact that religion has been a pivotal aspect of nearly every ancient and modern society, it should come to one’s realization that religion can be evaluated by various sociological theories. Durkheim studied religion from a collectivist perspective. Theories of religion can be classified into: Substantive (or essentialist) theories that focus on the contents of religions and the meaning the contents have for people. PreserveArticles.com is a free service that lets you to preserve your original articles for eternity. The main subject matter of theological thinking is natural events. aland94. In his writings, Emile Durkheim provides a sociological interpretation of religion. Disclaimer: This work has been submitted by a university student. This type of thinking of children is also at this level. Within this theory it has been stated that “religion is seen as a reference group, for many people, religion serves as a reference group to help them define themselves. He then comes to the conclusion that the idea of God and the religious teachings are some of human being’s strangest thoughts. Religious symbols, for example, have a meaning to large bodies of people (e.g., the Star of David for Jews; the crescent moon and star for Muslims; and the cross for Christians), (Nelson Education, chapter 17). Gravity. As the very term animism signifies it means that the so called inanimate objects are not dead and lifeless but are informed by a living spirit. The individual aspect is usually referred to as beliefs of the individual 1Department of Economics, LSE. Free resources to assist you with your university studies! He claimed that religious beliefs were not the individual, but were common beliefs belonging to a group united by these beliefs (Durkheim, 1976, p43). There are several theories revolving around the existence of the universe religion and Christianity. According to Spencer the ghosts of ancestors were transformed into gods. The paper "Karl Marx and Emile Durkheim Theories of Religion" is an outstanding example of an essay on sociology. Terms in this set (11) Wink vs. Twitch example. Weber on the other hand, has a more individualist perspective. Copyright. The primary interest of the early pioneers in the fields of social, anthropological and psychological research was to discover the origin of religious ideas in man rather than to describe them. Weber discusses Protestantism in is ideal form, and how the characteristics of this religion affect everyday life (Dillon, 2010, p127). The primary intention of religion is to influence the moral of life (Durkheim, 1976, p420). (Macionis & Plummer, 2008, p611). It allows people to rise out of themselves, which then helps mould their action and behaviour, which results in the collective cohesive affect on society. It is not there to enhance our knowledge, instead it is there in order to provide a guide for the way we act and live (Durkheim, 1976, p416). The individual aspect is usually referred to as beliefs of the individual 1Department of Economics, LSE. One branch of this school maintained that solar myths were most important and that primitive rituals and myths were primarily concerned with man’s relation to the sun. The Divine Command Theory is the view on morality that what is right is … In monotheism it is believed that one God is Supreme and that he is responsible for the maintenance of order and system in the world. His work, centred around social change and industrial society, however, he became focused on social and moral order and how it was achieved and maintained in society. The Elementary Forms of Religious Life presents Durkheim’s core belief that sociology of religion should be studied in a rational and objective manner. Religion reinforces prevailing social and economic arrangements by both consoling the oppressed and j… 5. He was a moderate left supporter of German nationalism, and helped found the German Democratic Party, as well as playing a part in the Treaty of Versailles and the Weimar Constitution, before he died in 1920 (Dillon, 2010, pp117-118). Company Registration No: 4964706. October 14, 2020 by Essay Writer. The forth reason why religion must be the basis of morality is that the view of God commands is good and what has been prohibited is evil. This patriarchal society theory is stoutly opposed by those who consider that the original society was matriarchal and that is why mother-worship is so central to every religion. TOS The observation and classification of facts are the beginning of the scientific knowledge. The theological thinking implies belief in another world wherein reside the divine forces which control the events in this world. Karl Marx viewed religion as a social control used by the bourgeoisie to keep the proletariat to maintain the status quo in a given society. The child regards his father a figure of absolute power, but as he grows the supremacy of father becomes untenable. Religion, Theory, Critique is an essential tool for learning about theory and method in the study of religion. According to Durkheim, religion is a social cohesive. “The Division of Labour”, where he examined social cohesion within the modern industrialise society. 11th Jan 2018 What are the weaknesses of evolutionary theories? Short Essay on the Functional Theory of Religion – Modern sociologists have been making scientific efforts to understand and explain the non- scientific social phenomenon that consist of beliefs and practices. However, the both studied religion form two very different perspectives, although both thought in evolutionary terms (Parsons, 1964, p xxvii). Different from Kant, the 19th century Max Muller held to the nature-worship theory. He suggests that as a result of this, religion underlies our moral and emotional links with others. Spell. Sociological Theories Perspectives on Religion Christopher J. Reed Sociology 101 Mr. Nguyen March 14, 2011 Sociological Theories Perspectives on Religion When it comes to the social institution of religion, the three major sociological theories differ in a majority of ways. This system of beliefs and practices is indispensible for the identity of a person and his or her sense of belonging to the group. Fundamentally, the task of religion is preserving a normal, positive life (Durkheim, 1976, p29). Created by. Religion is used in order to justify these cultural norms, for example, norms surrounding marriage and reproduction (Macionis & Plummer, 2008, p612). Marx endorses Feuerbach's view of religion as alienation and projection, but argues that religion, or alienated consciousness, is only an epiphenomenal reflection of a more basic dehumanizing alienation at the level of social and economic organization. According to Durkheim, people see religion as contributing to the health and continuation of society in general. Religion, in Durkheim’s view, is the laws of which a society is built upon, meaning that religion is society. PreserveArticles.com: Preserving Your Articles for Eternity. Email: g.levy1@lse.ac.uk; r.razin@lse.ac.uk. Our academic experts are ready and waiting to assist with any writing project you may have. With the gradual improvement in human thinking the human problems also became more complex and intricate. Both were gripped by the religion and its role in society (Nisbet, 1975). Animism, derived from the Greek word Anima, meaning soul, is a belief in the non-physical, transempirical substance existing independent of body. Therefore, theological thinking is characterized by non scientific or unscientific outlook. He claimed that religion does not conflict with science. In this essay, I will be explaining Freud’s theories and ideologies on society, culture, and religion. What are the major contributions of Auguste Comte to Sociology? Broadly, these approaches can be divided into two groups: 1. which consider the question of origin of religion to be of paramount importance, and 2. according to which not origin but description is important. This definition suggests that religion is collective within society and should be examined in this way. Learn. Democracy and Religion: Modern Theories Essay. Theories on the Origins of Religion: Overview Immanuel Kant. Comte has classified the theological stage further into three loud stages. Metaphysical thinking discards belief in concrete God. 2. For example, if we explain and understand the excess or deficiency of rain due to godly wrath, such a causai explanation would be in terms of theological or fictitious explanation. Elements of a Sociological Theory of Religion Secularization in the World: For and Against Over the years, the universe has been expanding and is still expanding. With the gradual development in human thinking there occurred a change in the form of thinking. According to Comte each successive stage is an improvement upon the earlier stage. Marxism is a conflict theory founded by German Philosopher and Sociologist Karl Marx in the 19th Century. Not be successfully tackled by monotheism preserving a normal, positive life ( Durkheim, people religion... When discussing the origin of religion is extremely variegated, complex, intricate and full of.. Include race, ethnicity, social class, or imaginary conditions is known as Polytheism or country have equal in. 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