A brief overview of emile durkheims role in sociology. A camp, a group of men and two religious ceremonies of arunta, one of the societies studied by durkheim in the elementary forms. List of books and articles about emile durkheim online. A summary of durkheims division of labor in society.
In the elementary forms of religion, emile durkheim, a french sociologist from the 19th century, examines totemism in an effort to draw universals between all religions. The study is centered at the culture and social life of the modern and aboriginal people. An early translation has remained the only englishlanguage version available, despite many errors. Published by french sociologist emile durkheim in 1912, the elementary forms of the religious life examines religion as a social phenomenon. A summary of emile durkheims perspective on religion, covering his concepts of sacred and profane among other things. Emile durkheim is best known in this country as a great sociologist and methodologist. He investigates what he considered to be the simplest form of documented religion totemism among the aborigines of australia. Emile durkheims perspective on religion revisesociology. Elementary forms religious by durkheim, first edition.
The photographs were taken by the anthropologist francis james gillen 18551912 whose study, with walter baldwin spencer 18601929, the northern tribes of central australia, published in 1904, is the main ethnographic source used by durkheim in his book. Durkheims view that the instability of industrial society was connected to the decline of religion and his characterization of the state as the ultimate moral force in society revealhis lifelong. In 1912, he published his last major work, the elementary forms of the religious life, a book that analyzes religion as a social phenomenon. It was published in 1912 under the title the elementary forms of the religious life. This cited by count includes citations to the following articles in scholar. Wikizero the elementary forms of the religious life. The elementary forms of religious life emile durkheim.
The most prominent theme in the book, as well as durkheims central thesis, is. What was the influential book on religion published in 1912 by emile durkheim. Shiites refer to their religious leader as the and it is his duty to interpret the holy book called the shaman, quran. Selected writings kindle edition by durkheim, emile, giddens, anthony, giddens, anthony. Emile durkheim 18581917, founder of the french school of sociology, produced an astonishing array of books and articles. It is ostensibly a case study of suicide, a publication unique for its time that provided an example of what the sociological monograph should look like. This is a case study offering a model of what the sociological monograph might look like. Emile durkheim was born 15 april 1858 in epinal in lorraine, the son of melanie isidor.
Born into a family of a long line of rabbis, he broke away from the jewish. Durkheim argued that all societies divide the world into two categories. The french sociologist, emile durkheim, is a key figure in the development of. This biography profiles his childhood, career, works, achievements, trivia and timeline. The durkheims sociology of religion and its function. Durkheim had much influence over the new generation of teachers. His best known work is the book suicide, published in 1897. Some argue that it is not a case study, which makes it unique among other scholarly work on the same subject. The outbreak of world war i was to have a tragic effect on durkheims life. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. Besides helping to establish the discipline of sociology in france, durkheim is widely recognized as one of the founding figures in the modern study of religion. The project gutenberg ebook of the elementary forms of the religious life, by emile durkheim this ebook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. He wrote both empirical studies and abstract treatises, most famously in his books on suicide and on the division of labor.
Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. Durkheims last major book the elementary forms of religious life 1912 has been regarded as one of the most profound and most original work upon religion. Elementary forms of religious life by emile durkheim alibris. In the elementary forms of religious life 1912, emile durkheim sets himself the task of discovering the enduring source of human social identity. A reading of the elementary forms of the religious life of. My esteem for durkheim is one reason, but i also admire an author who does the enormous amount of research and composition that went into producing this thick volume. Shiny mediuim blue boards, bright silver spine lettering. For durkheim, studying aboriginal religion was a way to yield an understanding of the religious nature of man, by. Top 183 books published in 1912 that people have added on goodreads. Where suicide focused on a large amount of statistics from varying sources, the elementary forms of religious life. Educated in france and germany, durkheim taught social. That said, i was very disappointed by marcel fourniers book emile durkheim. In 1912, he published his last major work, the elementary forms of the religious life.
Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading emile durkheim. The elementary forms of the religious life wikipedia. In it, he explores the differing suicide rates among protestants and catholics. Now a sociologist and religious scholar offers a muchneeded new translation that will restore durkheims work to its. Emile durkheim 1858 1917 was a french and major founder of sociology, along with max weber born in epinal. But his last and greatest book, on a topic of utmost importance, is far less well known in the englishspeaking world. Durkheim also served as an advisor to the ministry of education. The elementary forms of the religious life 1912 essay. Durkheim also wrote a book about a theory of religion. Books by emile durkheim author of the elementary forms of. Top 178 books published in 1912 that people have added on goodreads.
The book pioneered modern social research and served to distinguish social science from psychology and political philosophy. The project gutenberg ebook of the elementary forms of the. The elementary forms of the religious life 1912 excerpt from robert alun jones. What was the influential book on religion published in. Originally published in 1912, the book was first translated into english in 1915.
Emile durkheim died of a stroke in paris on november 15, 1917, and is buried in the citys montparnasse cemetery. Durkheim sets his focus on australian totemism, because it is the most primitive culture with the most resources available. Durkheim attributes the development of religion to the emotional security attained through communal living. If religion generated everything that is essential in society, this is because the idea of society is the soul of religion. Yet it was durkheims reflections on morality and society that spoke most deeply of his vital concerns. It was his first major published work and the one in which he introduced the concept of anomie or the breakdown of the influence of.
He investigated what he considered to be the simplest form of documented religion totemism among the aborigines of australia. What are the three elements of religion based on the writings. Emile durkheim s most popular book is the elementary forms of religious life. Along with karl marx and max weber, he is credited as being one of the principal founders of modern sociology. A the communist manifesto b the catechism of the catholic church c the elementary forms of the religious life d the last temptation of christ. His answer to this problem lies in the stronger social control among catholics. Published in 1912, the elementary forms of the religious life was the last major book by the great sociologist emile durkheim. Durkheims core argument is that religious representations are collective representations which express collective realities. Along with max weber he is considered one of the chief founders of modern sociology. Emile durkheim was a french sociologist who rose to prominence in the late 19 th and early 20 th centuries. Emile durkheim has 127 books on goodreads with 32824 ratings.
Emile durkheim biography childhood, life achievements. In the elementary forms of religious life 1912, emile durkheim set himself the task of discovering the enduring source of human social identity. In the elementary forms of the religious life, first published in 1912, emile durkheim presented what is probably the most influential interpretation of religion from a functionalist perspective. In the elementary forms of religious life 1912 durkheim argued that all societies divide the world into two basic categories.