This video presentation is from macro social theory, by frank w. Durkheim starts forms by looking at how religion may be defined and here the sacred profane dichotomy comes immediately into play. Sage books the ultimate social sciences digital library. People in contemporary society do not usually encounter the sacred and the evil profane by taking themselves off to a remote location to perform some kind of arcane ritual. Sacred and profane the concepts of sacred and profane are central to durkheims theory of religion. It will be of concern to anyone seeking to discover the potential dimensions of human existence. These were the subjects of his first two books, the thrillingly readable and.
For durkheim, the concept of sacred was above all intrinsically social, the product of the social classification of all phenomena into the antithetical categories of sacred and profane. The sacred refers to those collective representations that are set apart from society, or that which transcends the humdrum of everyday life. The sociological concepts of the sacred and the profane have their main roots in the theories of emile durkheim. The paired up terms of sacred and profane constitute a twin con cept we are. Lets take a look at these two concepts with more detail. For durkheim, religion is about the separation of the sacred from the profane.
French sociologist emile durkheim 18581917, considered by many as the father of social science and whose group an. The sacredprofane dichotomy is an idea posited by french sociologist emile durkheim, who. My new copy of this book is just what i was hoping for. This book focuses on the macro social theory of marx. For durkheim, religion is the collective practice of marking off and maintaining distance between the sacred and the profane, whichis typicallydone through rituals,such as those associated with the daily or weekly visit to the church or mosque. The concept of sacred and profane defines durkheim s study of religion. The source of modern religion was one of the most important questions for durkheim. Likewise, certain images of god and sacred books are held to be uniquely. Durkheim extensively studied the functions of religion and was among the first to distinguish between the sacred and the profane. Unlike ottos holy, durkheims sacred was literally unthinkable except in terms of the profane.
In fact, the two are opposed so fundamentally that they are seen as separate worlds. It was during the first quarter of the 20th century that the concept of the sacred. Im no expert in anthropology, but i couldnt help noticing how some ideas were corroborated mostly by middle. Emile durkheims perspective on religion revisesociology. The profane, on the other hand, is everything else, all those mundane things like our jobs, our bills, and our rush hour commute. In durkheims theory, the sacred represented the interests of the group, especially unity, which were embodied in sacred group symbols, or totems. The sacred and the profane serves as an excellent introduction to the history of religion, but its perspective also encompasses philosophical anthropology, phenomenology, and psychology. Moreover, it is the nature of the concept of sacred, the inexplicable and authoritative aura that guided and maintains the system of belief in a primitive society. Durkheim says that the sacred is ideal and transcends everyday existence, it is extraordinary, potentially dangerous,aweinspiring,fear inducing. A short presentation on durkheims ideas about religious life. In the classic text the sacred and the profane, famed historian of religion mircea eliade observes that even.