The Elementary Forms of the Religious Life
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About This Book
In The Elementary Forms of Religious Life (1912), Emile Durkheim sets himself the task of discovering the enduring source of human social identity. He investigates what he considered to be the simplest form of documented religion - totemism among the Aborigines of Australia. For Durkheim, studying Aboriginal religion was a way 'to yield an understanding of the religious nature of man, by showing us an essential and permanent aspect of humanity'. The need and capacity of men and women to relate to one another socially lies at the heart of Durkheim's exploration, in which religion embodies the b...
Chapters (565)
- EMILE DURKHEIM The Elementary Forms of the Religious Life
- CONTENTS
- INTRODUCTION SUBJECT OF OUR STUDY: RELIGIOUS SOCIOLOGY AND THE THEORY OF KNOWLEDGE
- II
- BOOK I PRELIMINARY QUESTIONS
- CHAPTER I DEFINITION OF RELIGIOUS PHENOMENA AND OF RELIGION[25]
- I
- II
- III
- IV
- CHAPTER II LEADING CONCEPTIONS OF THE ELEMENTARY RELIGION I.—Animism
- I
- II
- III
- IV
- V
- CHAPTER III LEADING CONCEPTIONS OF THE ELEMENTARY RELIGION—continued II.—Naturism
- I
- II
- III
- CHAPTER IV TOTEMISM AS AN ELEMENTARY RELIGION History of the Question.—Method of Treating it
- I
- II
- BOOK II THE ELEMENTARY BELIEFS
- CHAPTER I TOTEMIC BELIEFS The Totem as Name and as Emblem
- I
- II
- III
- CHAPTER II TOTEMIC BELIEFS—continued The Totemic Animal and Man
- I
- II
- CHAPTER III TOTEMIC BELIEFS—continued The Cosmological System of Totemism and the Idea of Class
- I
- II
- III
- CHAPTER IV TOTEMIC BELIEFS—end The Individual Totem and the Sexual Totem
- I
- II
- CHAPTER V ORIGINS OF THESE BELIEFS Critical Examination of Preceding Theories
- I
- II
- III
- IV
- V
- CHAPTER VI ORIGINS OF THESE BELIEFS—continued The Notion of the Totemic Principle, or Mana, and the Idea of Force
- I
- II
- III
- IV
- CHAPTER VII ORIGINS OF THESE BELIEFS—end Origin of the Idea of the Totemic Principle or Mana
- I
- II
- III
- IV
- V
- VI
- CHAPTER VIII THE IDEA OF THE SOUL
- I
- II
- III
- IV
- V
- VI
- CHAPTER IX THE IDEA OF SPIRITS AND GODS
- I
- II
- III
- IV
- V
- BOOK III THE PRINCIPAL RITUAL ATTITUDES
- CHAPTER I THE NEGATIVE CULT AND ITS FUNCTIONS THE ASCETIC RITES
- I
- II
- III
- IV
- CHAPTER II THE POSITIVE CULT I.—The Elements of the Sacrifice
- I
- II
- III
- IV
- V
- CHAPTER III THE POSITIVE CULT—continued II.—Imitative Rites and the Principle of Causality
- I
- II
- III
- CHAPTER IV THE POSITIVE CULT—continued III.—Representative or Commemorative Rites
- I
- II
- III
- CHAPTER V PIACULAR RITES AND THE AMBIGUITY OF THE NOTION OF SACREDNESS
- I
- II
- III
- IV
- CONCLUSION
- I
- II
- III
- IV
- INDEX
- FOOTNOTES:
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