ovde - vera znanje mir

cooperation - there'd be no society
o Unified moral code gains supernatural status therefore religion
maintains social solidarity & religion is essentially a conservative
force
[Social solidarity - feel part of the unified group]
[Conservative force - keeps things the same (religion)]
o Religion re-inforces the collective conscience.
o Religion is the 'worship of society' - this strengthens the values &
moral beliefs - basis of social life
o We treat people with reverence because they embody the values of
society
o Come to regard everyday rules as laws & no one can question them
because they've taken supernatural importance - worship them by
turning rules to morals
o Can trace back laws to 10 commandments
o Societies have rules to keep order and avoid anarchy
o Grow up with norms & values - create the right & wrong
o We need religion if society's unfair
Criticisms
o This may be true of religion in small-scale societies but does it
function in the same way in complex large-scale industrial societies?
o Does religion always function to protect the status quo in society?
There are examples of religion promoting social change
o Is there a consensus in society? Marxists argue that this is imposed
by a ruling class
o Suggesting that religion is the worship of society might be taking
it a little far and it's certainly not the way most religious people
see their acts of worship
o People disagree with religion being the worship of society - not
relevant to modern societies
o It's difficult to measure many of Durkheim's ideas such as the
'collective conscience'
Malinowski
o Studied Trobriland Islanders in detail - Small scale, premative
societies
o Unlike Durkheim he doesn't see religion as reflecting society as a
whole nor worshipping society
o Religion is concurred with specific areas of social life -