Durkheim's Basic Views on Religion

 

Kepoen.com-Durkheim's Basic Views on Religion- Durkheim argues that social facts are far more important than individual facts. However, individuals often misunderstand when they fail to carefully consider the strong influence of society on them. For Durkheim, considering that we can understand individuals solely by taking into account their biological, psychological, or personal interests is futile.

Instead, individuals should be explained through the social context of society. This sociological thinking by Durkheim sparked the author's interest in studying Durkheim's thoughts on religion, particularly regarding the concepts of the Sacred and the Profane, Totemism, and the Social Functions of Religion.

Durkheim associates his thinking about religion with social facts, where he argues that social facts are more fundamental than individual facts. His most famous work, "The Elementary Form of Religious Life," published in 1912, extensively discusses and elaborates Durkheim's theories on religion.

Durkheim's approach to religion differs from other researchers such as Tylor, Frazer, and Freud, who focus more on beliefs in supernatural powers like gods or goddesses. Durkheim chose to study the "most primitive" and simple forms of religion as the subject of his research.

 According to him, primitive societies do not actually divide their thoughts into two separate worlds, namely the "natural" and the "supernatural" worlds as conceived by modern society. Durkheim argues that modern society is still influenced by scientific assumptions, whereas primitive societies are not affected by such assumptions.

Durkheim explains that "primitive" religion refers to the religious systems found in the simplest societies. These religious systems can be explained without having to account for older religious elements. According to Durkheim, primitive religion can better explain the essence of human religiosity compared to other forms of religion that emerged later.

Primitive religion can depict the most fundamental and enduring aspects of humanity. Durkheim also states that primitive religion fulfills the same needs, plays the same role, and originates from the same reasons as other religions. Primitive religion can effectively explain the essence of religious life.

However, Durkheim states that not all religions believe in the existence of gods or goddesses, although they believe in supernatural powers. In this context, Durkheim states that in discussing religious matters, social facts have a more fundamental position than individual facts.

However, individuals are often misunderstood due to the strong influence of society on them, often being disregarded or not carefully considered. According to Durkheim, it is not enough to understand individuals solely by considering their biological, psychological, or personal factors. Instead, individuals should be understood within their social context, and society should be explained within its social context.

This is Durkheim's sociological thinking that encourages the author to focus on Durkheim's thoughts on religion, particularly on his basic concepts of the Sacred and the Profane, as well as Totemism and the Social Functions of Religion.

 

Durkheim chose to study what he considered the "most primitive" forms of religion.

He also viewed religion as part of social facts that were more fundamental than individual facts. This perspective is reflected in his famous work, "The Elementary Form of Religious Life," published in 1912. Durkheim disagreed with other researchers such as Tylor, Frazer, and Freud, who focused more on the conventional view that religion is a belief in supernatural powers like gods or goddesses.

To address these questions, Durkheim selected what he deemed the "most primitive" and simple forms of religion as the object of his research. He argued that primitive societies never conceived of a "dual world" consisting of the natural and the supernatural, as conceived by culturally advanced religious societies. Durkheim stated that modern society is still influenced by scientific assumptions, while primitive societies are not affected by such assumptions.

Durkheim explained that the term "primitive" refers to the religious systems found in the simplest societies, and these systems can be explained without having to account for older religious elements. According to Durkheim, primitive religion can better help understand the essence of human religiosity compared to other forms of religion that emerged later.

Primitive religion can depict the most fundamental and enduring aspects of humanity. Durkheim also stated that primitive religions fulfill the same needs, play the same role, and originate from the same causes as other religions, effectively explaining the essence of religious life.

According to Durkheim, not all religions believe in the existence of gods or goddesses, although they believe in supernatural powers. Therefore, Durkheim argued that in discussing religion, it is necessary to first define the meaning of religion.

 According to Durkheim, the meaning of religion is a symbolic system involving beliefs and practices related to sacred powers that generate social solidarity within society. Durkheim believed that religion is not just about belief in supernatural entities or specific gods and goddesses but also encompasses rules, values, and rituals that govern social life and provide a strong social structure.

In Durkheim's perspective, religion has two interconnected aspects: the sacred and the profane. The sacred refers to everything considered holy, superior, and possessing higher powers than individuals, while the profane refers to everything ordinary, common, and lacking supernatural powers. Durkheim argued that the distinction between the sacred and the profane forms the basis for the development of religious systems in society.

Furthermore, Durkheim discussed the concept of totemism as an example of primitive religion. He observed that in primitive tribal societies, the totem became a symbol considered sacred and a focal point of social solidarity.

Totemism refers to the system of beliefs and practices related to totems, which can be animals, plants, or other natural objects. Durkheim argued that totemism is an early manifestation of religion involving social unity and collective rituals.

Durkheim also paid attention to the social functions of religion. For him, religion plays a crucial role in maintaining social solidarity within society. Religion produces shared values, norms, and symbolic systems that provide a framework for social interaction.

Durkheim argued that religion helps strengthen social bonds, overcome differences and conflicts, and provide a sense of togetherness and collective identity.

In Durkheim's view, religion has an important integrative role in preserving social harmony and maintaining societal stability. Although Durkheim's approach to religion has been criticized and debated by many other sociologists and religious scholars, his contributions to understanding the social functions of religion and the relationship between religion and society remain relevant topics in the fields of sociology and anthropology.

 

Views of Other Philosophers on Religion

Apart from Durkheim, there are several other sociological and philosophical figures who have offered their perspectives on religion. One of them is Max Weber. Weber regarded religion as one of the factors influencing the social and economic development of a society.

According to Weber, religion plays a crucial role in shaping individuals' attitudes and values, which, in turn, influence their economic orientation and patterns of action. In his famous work, "The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism," Weber argued that Protestantism, particularly Calvinism, has a close connection to the development of modern capitalism.

Weber observed that Calvinist teachings, which emphasize personal accountability, hard work, discipline, and wealth accumulation, create social conditions and ethics that support the advancement of capitalism.

Additionally, Weber introduced the concept of rationalization in religion. He believed that traditional religions tend to be more irrational as they are based on magical and mystical beliefs. However, with the emergence of rational religions like Protestantism, individuals tend to adopt a more rational approach in practicing their beliefs and lives.

Rational religions encourage individuals to formulate rules and actions based on logic and rational considerations, which, in turn, influence social structures and societal development.

Apart from Durkheim and Weber, other figures like Karl Marx also hold critical views of religion. Marx sees religion as a form of false consciousness that creates illusions for workers and society, diverting their attention from material reality and actual social issues. Marx argues that religion serves as a tool of social control used by the ruling class to maintain economic inequality and preserve the existing capitalist structure.

These perspectives are just a few examples of the diverse viewpoints within sociology regarding religion. It is important to remember that views on religion vary widely and continue to be debated to this day.

Durkheim Criticizes Famous Theories of Religion

Durkheim stated that the main focus of religion lies in the "sacred" because it has a broad influence that determines the well-being and interests of the entire community. The profane, on the other hand, does not have such a significant impact and is merely a reflection of the everyday life of individuals. Therefore, Durkheim reminded that the dichotomy of the "sacred" and the "profane" should not be interpreted as a moral division, where the sacred represents "goodness" and the profane represents "evil."

According to Durkheim, both goodness and evil exist within the sacred as well as the profane. The distinction lies in the fact that the sacred cannot transform into the profane, and vice versa, the profane cannot become sacred. Based on this definition, the primary focus of religion is on sacred matters.

Durkheim explained that the terms "community" and "church" hold significant meanings. According to him, the social and communal functions of religion are central to his thoughts and theories on religion. Religion, fundamentally, is something collective. Durkheim even differentiated religion from magic by stating that magic is an individual endeavor, while religion cannot be separated from the concept of communal worship or morality.

 Magic and religion can coexist because the former deals with personal matters, while the latter is concerned with social matters. Thus, according to Durkheim, a person with magical abilities may have several clients but will never have a congregation, and there may never be such a thing as a magical church.

In defining religion, Durkheim criticized several famous theories of religion, such as the animism theory proposed by E.B. Tylor and the naturism theory put forward by F. Max Muller. These theories argue that societies come to believe in gods and goddesses as they attempt to explain powerful natural phenomena such as the sun, the sky, and storms.

Tylor claims that the idea of belief emerges from ideas about spirits. Durkheim sees these theories as fundamentally similar because they attempt to derive the concept of the sacred from sensations arising from natural phenomena, both physical and biological.

For animist groups, the origin of religion is derived from dream experiences, while for naturist groups, the origin of religion is derived from cosmic phenomena. Durkheim criticizes such empiricism, considering these theories to be truly creations based on absence and giving illusory status to religious ideas.

Thus, Durkheim formulates the true essence of religious empiricism, which is not ancestral worship or the deification of natural phenomena that play an important role in the religious systems of tribal cultures. Durkheim states that the worship of deceased individuals is a "form of worship that only develops in advanced societies such as Chinese, Egyptian, Greek, and Latin cities.

The deification of nature in pre-literate cultures or societies before the advent of literacy is not focused on cosmic powers but rather on simple plants and animals, such as rabbits or kangaroos." With this viewpoint, Durkheim ultimately asserts that beyond "animism" and "naturism," there exists a more primitive and fundamental worship that serves as the origin of animism and naturism, or in his view, both are partial aspects of it, namely "totemism."

 

Refence

Emile Durkheim, Sejarah Agama, terj. Inyiak Ridhwan Muzir, Yogyakarta: Ircisod, , 2003.

Karen Armstrong, Berperang Demi Tuhan: Fundamentalisme Dalam Islam, Kristen dan Yahudi, terj. Satrio Wahono, dkk., (Mizan & Serambi Ilmu Semesta, Bandung & Jakarta, 2000).

Brian Morris, Antropologi Agama: Kritik Teori-Teori Agama Kontemporer, Yogyakarta: AK Group, 2003.

Emile Durkheim, Sosiologi dan Filsafat, terj. Soedjono Dirdjosiswono, Jakarta: Erlangga, 1989.

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