Karl Marx and Emile Durkheim on the Social Function of Religion
When one thinks of religion, one generally associates it with contentious debates and conflicting ideas. However, it is undebatable that religion has been a powerful force in human society since its beginnings. Due to its prevalence and importance, many thinkers have studied the religion and formulated their own ideas on its function and consequences in society. In this paper, I will specifically address two such thinkers, Karl Marx and Emile Durkheim. First I will explain Marx’s view of a religion as a tool of oppression and a distraction from reality. Then, I will describe Durkheim’s view of religion as a result of shared experiences and a necessary method to maintain societal …show more content…
He recognizes that “the idea of society is the soul of religion.” To him, what gives religion power is the way it is commonly shared and experienced by a society. This experience is also what forms the idea of sacredness and applies it to otherwise ordinary objects and actions. When collective life inspires passion in a man, he “feels himself transformed and consequently…he attributes to the things with which he is in most direct contact…exceptional powers and virtues which the objects of every-day experiences do not possess.” Therefore, what makes an action or symbol sacred is how a society collectively values it and gives it a meaning superior to its instrumental value. This leads to the conception of an ideal world which is above the real world and is necessary for a society to create and recreate itself. Conclusively, Durkheim believes that religion plays an essential role in society because it provides a means of societal solidary and …show more content…
To start off, both agree that religion is an influential force of society and is dependent on society to survive. Durkheim claims that the power of a religion is in collective belief and therefore an individual “cannot retain them any length of time by a purely personal effort;” consequently the power of religion is not in the beliefs itself but in how well those beliefs are accepted by society. Marx has already acknowledged the influence of religion by showing how it can factor into class oppression and how religion can only operate when the oppressed accept it as a substitution to the real solution of their problems. While both thinkers consider religion a strong force, Marx believes it to be an exploitative force and Durkheim believes it to be a uniting force. For this reason, Marx advocates the complete abolition of religion, “The abolition of religion as the illusory happiness of the people is required for their real happiness.” To him, the complete removal of religion is beneficial and necessary to solve the problems of the real world. On the other hand, as stated before, Durkheim views religion as essential in keeping a society together and in control because religion is what forms the shared consciousness of a society. Furthermore, both Durkheim and Marx concur on the fact that religion is man-made.
When one thinks of religion, one generally associates it with contentious debates and conflicting ideas. However, it is undebatable that religion has been a powerful force in human society since its beginnings. Due to its prevalence and importance, many thinkers have studied the religion and formulated their own ideas on its function and consequences in society. In this paper, I will specifically address two such thinkers, Karl Marx and Emile Durkheim. First I will explain Marx’s view of a religion as a tool of oppression and a distraction from reality. Then, I will describe Durkheim’s view of religion as a result of shared experiences and a necessary method to maintain societal …show more content…
He recognizes that “the idea of society is the soul of religion.” To him, what gives religion power is the way it is commonly shared and experienced by a society. This experience is also what forms the idea of sacredness and applies it to otherwise ordinary objects and actions. When collective life inspires passion in a man, he “feels himself transformed and consequently…he attributes to the things with which he is in most direct contact…exceptional powers and virtues which the objects of every-day experiences do not possess.” Therefore, what makes an action or symbol sacred is how a society collectively values it and gives it a meaning superior to its instrumental value. This leads to the conception of an ideal world which is above the real world and is necessary for a society to create and recreate itself. Conclusively, Durkheim believes that religion plays an essential role in society because it provides a means of societal solidary and …show more content…
To start off, both agree that religion is an influential force of society and is dependent on society to survive. Durkheim claims that the power of a religion is in collective belief and therefore an individual “cannot retain them any length of time by a purely personal effort;” consequently the power of religion is not in the beliefs itself but in how well those beliefs are accepted by society. Marx has already acknowledged the influence of religion by showing how it can factor into class oppression and how religion can only operate when the oppressed accept it as a substitution to the real solution of their problems. While both thinkers consider religion a strong force, Marx believes it to be an exploitative force and Durkheim believes it to be a uniting force. For this reason, Marx advocates the complete abolition of religion, “The abolition of religion as the illusory happiness of the people is required for their real happiness.” To him, the complete removal of religion is beneficial and necessary to solve the problems of the real world. On the other hand, as stated before, Durkheim views religion as essential in keeping a society together and in control because religion is what forms the shared consciousness of a society. Furthermore, both Durkheim and Marx concur on the fact that religion is man-made.