
FAQ About Emile Durkheim

How did Durkheim contribute to the understanding of religion in society?
Durkheim’s work "The Elementary Forms of the Religious Life" explores religion as a fundamental feature of social life. He argued that religious beliefs and practices bind people together, creating social cohesion. Durkheim believed that by studying the simplest forms of religion in indigenous cultures, insights could be gained into the nature of all religious life. He defined religion as a unified system of beliefs and practices relative to sacred things.