The Elementary Forms of the Religious Life.

Durkheim, Émile:

Published by London: George Allen & Unwin Ltd, 1968

About this Item

XI, 456 p. Einband berieben und mit Randläsuren, Buchrücken ausgeblichen und mit Knicken, Buchschnitt angeschmutzt, Bleistifteintragungen auf Vorsatz (vorne und hinten), einige Seiten weisen kleine, leichte Knicke auf / binding rubbed and with edge wear, spine faded and with creases, book edges soiled, pencil inscriptions on endpapers (front and back), some pages have small, light creases. - CONTENTS INTRODUCTION Subject of our Study : Religious Sociology and the Theory of Knowledge I. Principal subject of the book : analysis of the simplest religion known to determine the elementary forms of the religious life Why they are more easily found and explained in the primitive religions II. Secondary subject of research: the genesis of the fundamental notions of thought or the categories Reasons for believing that their origin is religious and consequently social How a way of restating the theory of knowledge is thus seen BOOK I PRELIMINARY QUESTIONS CHAPTER I Definition of Religious Phenomena and of Religion Usefulness of a preliminary definition of religion; method to be followed in seeking this definition Why the usual definitions should be examined first I. Religion defined by the supernatural and mysterious Criticism : the notion of mystery is not primitive II. Religion defined in connection with the idea of God or a spiritual being. Religions without gods Rites in deistic religions which imply no idea of divinity III. Search for a positive definition Distinction between beliefs and rites Definition of beliefs First characteristic : division of things between sacred and profane Distinctive characteristics of this definition Definition of rites in relation to beliefs Definition of religion IV. Necessity of another characteristic to distinguish magic from religion The idea of the Church Do individualistic religions exclude the idea of a Church ? CHAPTER II Leading Conceptions of the Elementary Religion I. Animism Distinction of animism and naturism I. The three theses of animism : Genesis of the idea of the soul; Formation of the idea of spirits ; Transformation of the cult of spirits into the cult of nature II. Criticism of the first thesis Distinction of the idea of the soul from that of a double Dreams do not account for the idea of the soul III. Criticism of the second thesis Death does not explain the trans formation of a soul into a spirit The cult of the souls of the dead is not primitive IV. Criticism of the third thesis The anthromoporphic instinct Spencer s criticism of it; reservations on this point Examination of the facts by which this instinct is said to be proved Difference between a soul and the spirits of nature Religious anthropomorphism is not primitive V. Conclusion : animism reduces religion to nothing more than a system of hallucinations CHAPTER III Leading Conceptions of the Elementary Religion (continued) II. Naturism History of the theory I. Exposition of Max Muller s naturism II. If the object of religion is to express natural forces, it is hard to see how it has maintained itself, for it expresses them in an erroneous manner Pretended distinction between religion and mythology III. Naturism does not explain the division of things into sacred and profane CHAPTER IV Totemism as an Elementary Religion I. Brief history of the question of totemism II. Reasons of method for which our study will be given specially to the totemism of Australia The place which will be given to facts from America BOOK II THE ELEMENTARY BELIEFS CHAPTER I Totemic Beliefs The Totem as Name and as Emblem I. Definition of the clan The totem as name of the clan Nature of the things which serve as totems Ways in which the totem is acquired The totems of phratries ; of matrimonial classes II. The totem as emblem Totemic designs engraved or carved upon objects ; tatooings or designs upon the body III. Sacred character of the totemic emblem The churinga The nurtunja The waninga Conventional character of totemic emblem. Seller Inventory # 1200179

Bibliographic Details

Title: The Elementary Forms of the Religious Life.

Publisher: London: George Allen & Unwin Ltd

Publication Date: 1968

Binding: Paperback.

Condition: Wie neu

Edition: Sixth Impression.