Download The Moral Argument

The Challenges of Sociology
to Religious Belief
Is religion a product of society?
Emile Durkheim (1858 – 1917)
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What is religion?
Where does religion come from?
What is the function and importance of
religion for society?
Emile Durkheim
What is religion?
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‘a unified system of beliefs and practices
relative to sacred things’
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Sacred things e.g. Christian cross
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Believed to have special quality
Set apart from everyday things
Rituals e.g. prayer, communion
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Performed by groups
Follow set pattern
Emile Durkheim
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Where does religion come from?
Examined primitive religion
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Australian Aborigines
Divided into small groups – clans
Each clan associated with a totem
Totem was specific animal or plant considered sacred
But each clan had own animal
Images of totem considered more sacred than actual animal
Concluded clan to be more important than the totem
Emile Durkheim
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Therefore the focus of worship in all
religions is actually society
We must behave in a socially acceptable
way
But that does not mean we want to behave
that way
‘… society to its members is what a god is
to his worshipers’ (Durkheim)
Emile Durkheim
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What is the function and importance of
religion for society?
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Religion holds society together
Especially through rituals
Rituals strengthened people’s dependence on
society
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Form of ritual is unimportant – one as valid as another
Object of worship also does not matter
We will in time worship objects other than a god e.g.
Princess Diana
Emile Durkheim
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Conclusions
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Durkheim does not disprove God
Shows that worship of a god could be the
effect of society
Gods are a symbol of society rather than a
reality
But whilst he might be right about most
religions there could still be ‘one true God’
Emile Durkheim
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Strengths
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Accounts for enormous variety of religions
Religion does play a part in strengthening
society
Religious objects do unit people and place
values upon them
Explains the social side of religion –
collective worship
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This is not covered by psychology
Emile Durkheim
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Weaknesses
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Does not explain why and how
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Music may unite people but the composer may have set
out to express himself
In the same way religion could have come about as a
response to God’s love
No evidence of his interpretation of the
Aboriginal religion
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Even if correct does not mean all religions come
from the same process
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Whilst religion can unite society it can also
create division
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E.g. Muhammad reject society
E.g. Catholic -v- Protestant
Interpretation of religion is too broad
Max Weber (1864-1920)
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Society only one of several factors
explaining religion
Religion is a major force behind change
of society
Weber less interested in origin of
religion
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Concerned with different types and impact
on society
Max Weber
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Three key questions
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Where does religion come from?
What is the relationship between one’s
religious beliefs and the social group to
which one belongs?
What is the impact of religious beliefs upon
the behaviour of society?
Max Weber
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Where does religion come from?
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Religion is universal
Makes sense of life
Fulfils basic psychological needs
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Our ideal interests
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Material interests
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We want life to be kind and fair
In practice it is senseless
This leads to religion
Our position in society and our interests determine our
religious view
Charismatic prophets
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introduced the various religions
Max Weber
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What is the relationship between one’s
religious beliefs and the social group to
which one belongs?
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Weber noted:
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Primitive societies centred their religion on
material need – food and wealth
Developed societies centred their religion on
ethical rules
Wealthy people use religion to justify their
wealth through their righteousness
Max Weber
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What is the impact of religious beliefs
upon the behaviour of society?
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Once adopted, a religion can have a major
impact on behaviour and economic activity
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Introduction of Protestantism coincided with
Capitalism
Protestantism encouraged involvement in the
world
Idea of predestination led to need to perform
one’s duty as if one of the elect
Max Weber
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Strengths
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Accepts complexity of religion
Leaves room for possibility that God does exist
There are examples of religious beliefs
influenced by interests
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There are examples of religion bringing about
social change
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E.g. liberation theology
E.g. anti-apartheid headed by Archbishop
Desmond Tutu
Link between religion and capitalism is
plausible
Max Weber
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Weaknesses
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Offers no prove that God does not exist
Psychological need could have been given to
us by God
Society could influence our beliefs differently
because our needs are different
R. Tawney suggests that capitalism brought
about a change in behaviour not religion
Capitalism is found in predominantly Catholic
countries e.g. Belgium, Japan
Parkin shows that Calvinism opposes profit for
it’s own sake
Putting it altogether
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a)
b)
Write bullet points that show how you
would go about answering the
following exam question:
Explain how sociologists have understood
the role of religion in society. (33)
‘Sociology presents no threat to belief in
God.’ Discuss (17)