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The Elementary Forms of the Religious Life

by Émile Durkheim (1858–1917)

  • Free to read
  • 15 hours to read
  • 82 chapters
  • Reading level: 10th to 12th grade

"The Elementary Forms of the Religious Life" by Émile Durkheim is a book published in 1912 that analyzes religion as a social phenomenon. Durkheim argues that religious beliefs emerge from communal living and emotional bonds within society. Through studying totemic societies in Australia, he proposes that sacred symbols actually represent society itself. Durkheim identifies the concept of the sacred as the unifying element across all religions, defining religion as a system of beliefs and practices that unite communities around things set apart as forbidden.

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  • Religion
  • Rites and ceremonies
  • Religion · Philosophy
  • Cults
  • Totemism

Read the opening

Book I

PRELIMINARY QUESTIONS

CHAPTER I

DEFINITION OF RELIGIOUS PHENOMENA AND OF RELIGION

Usefulness of a preliminary definition of religion; method to be
followed in seeking this definition—Why the usual definitions
should be examined first 23

I.—Religion defined by the supernatural and mysterious—
Criticism: the notion of mystery is not primitive 24

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Contents

Show all 82 chapters
  1. Book I
  2. Book II
  3. Book III
  4. Book III
  5. Introduction
  6. Chapter II
  7. Book I
  8. Book I
  9. Chapter I
  10. Chapter II
  11. Chapter III
  12. Chapter IV
  13. Chapter I
  14. Chapter II
  15. Chapter III
  16. Chapter IV
  17. Chapter V
  18. Chapter I
  19. Chapter II
  20. Chapter III
  21. Chapter I
  22. Chapter II
  23. Book II
  24. Book II
  25. Chapter I
  26. Chapter II
  27. Chapter III
  28. Chapter I
  29. Chapter II
  30. Chapter I
  31. Chapter II
  32. Chapter III
  33. Chapter I
  34. Chapter II
  35. Chapter I
  36. Chapter II
  37. Chapter III
  38. Chapter IV
  39. Chapter V
  40. Chapter I
  41. Chapter II
  42. Chapter III
  43. Chapter IV
  44. Chapter I
  45. Chapter II
  46. Chapter III
  47. Chapter IV
  48. Chapter V
  49. Chapter VI
  50. Chapter I
  51. Chapter II
  52. Chapter III
  53. Chapter IV
  54. Chapter V
  55. Chapter VI
  56. Chapter I
  57. Chapter II
  58. Chapter III
  59. Chapter IV
  60. Chapter V
  61. Book III
  62. Book III
  63. Chapter I
  64. Chapter II
  65. Chapter III
  66. Chapter IV
  67. Chapter I
  68. Chapter II
  69. Chapter III
  70. Chapter IV
  71. Chapter V
  72. Chapter I
  73. Chapter II
  74. Chapter III
  75. Chapter I: These may be observed the best among the Warramunga.[1192]
  76. Chapter II
  77. Chapter III
  78. Chapter I
  79. Chapter II
  80. Chapter III
  81. Chapter IV
  82. Conclusion
  83. Chapter I
  84. Chapter II
  85. Chapter III
  86. Chapter IV

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About this edition

This free edition of The Elementary Forms of the Religious Life by Émile Durkheim comes from Project Gutenberg eBook #41360, released 2012-11-13. It is in the public domain in the United States, so you can read it here in full at no cost, on any phone, tablet or computer. Genre: Religion/Spirituality, Sociology.

Summary provided by Project Gutenberg (automatically generated).