Durkheim Reading Course (210038-WS 24/25)

Émile Durkheim (1858-1917), one of the “founding fathers of the sociology”, laid the groundwork for the sociological study of religion. His general theory of religion, highlighting the collective aspects and social functions of religious life, remains immensely influential, and his understanding of sacred – as the essence of religion as well as a fundamental sociological concept – to this day informs the broad spectrum of research, with explanatory power reaching far beyond the domain of religion.

Durkheim’s central contribution to the understanding of religion is the idea of dichotomy between the sacred and the profane. He argued that all religions (and, as one may add, all cultures and societies) differentiate between the sacred (things set apart and revered) and the profane (ordinary, everyday things). Durkheim’s perspective stresses the importance of studying religion not just as a belief system but as a social phenomenon and a fundamental component of social life, essential for creating social solidarity and social cohesion. For Durkheim, religion is primarily a collective practice: when individuals participate in communal religious rituals, the shared emotional experiences, the heightened energy and sense of unity (“collective effervescence”) solidify the bonds among community members and reaffirm their commitment to shared values and beliefs (“collective consciousness”). Moreover, Durkheim famously argued that in religious rituals the society worships itself: “The forces before which the believer bows are not simple physical energies (…); they are social forces”.

Durkheim's seminal work, "The Elementary Forms of Religious Life" (1912), outlines his theory and provides a deep analysis of the nature and role of religion in society. A careful reading of this book and fragments of other writings will form the basis for our analysis of the key concepts of his theory of religion, such as sacred, collective effervescence, collective counsciousness, social solidarity, and social anomy. We will also address Durkheim´s concepts of modernity (understood as “infinity of desires”) and the modern “cult of individual” as well as discuss his view on religion as an integrative force.