Analysis of Durkheim’s “The Elementary Forms of Religious Essay

As portrayed in Durkheim’s The Elementary Forms of Religious Life, a totem is obvious in each general public. A totem is a representative figure of some animal, being, or thing that speaks to the holiness and rule of god. Basically, a totem is a profane, normal item that has been esteemed by society to have some blessed, holy attributes. With this being stated, the item itself doesn't have any blessed or consecrated characteristics; rather it is simply the portrayal of the totem that holds these attributes. For instance, in the event that a society’s totem is a turtle, at that point a genuine turtle would simply be a turtle, yet when the turtle is introduced as a totemic insignia then this emblematic portrayal of the turtle is holy. Durkheim contends that, in light of the fact that the totem is a socially built portrayal of god then the totem itself speaks to society too. Durkheim makes this suspicion obviously clear by expressing that â€Å"the divine force of the group, the totemic rule, can hence be nothing else than the faction itself, embodied and spoke to the creative mind under the noticeable type of the creature or vegetable which fills in as totem. From this, one can reason that Durkheim saw the love of totem as loving society. Durkheim proceeds to make the contention that god and society are â€Å"equivalent. † God is an outside, allegorical power that holds the individuals loving it to specific habits and activities. The demonstration of venerating said god or totem means that the devotees, adherents, or admirers are needy upon this power to decide the activities they participate in, the practices they display, etc. God and religion exist so as to keep individuals â€Å"in line† by means of ritualized exercises and setting good and moral rules that individuals comply with. Society, all by itself, has similar characteristics. The standards and estimations of a general public, which generally have been consolidated into the good and moral rules spread out in the society’s religion, are followed whether they are in accordance with the people characteristic nature. On account of this trademark, society is itself an outside power that individuals are reliant on, regardless of whether they recognize it. Finally, Durkheim recognizes that these ritualized exercises and shared virtues cultivate the social solidarity and attachment of society. By participating in shared exercises, regardless of whether it be the Islamic ceremony of petitioning Allah on various occasions a day, the American convention of singing of the national song of devotion before the main throw of a ball game, or the Catholic ceremony of aking fellowship, we are recognizing that we have a place with a gathering or society. Basic exercises help set up what Durkheim alludes to as â€Å"collective consciousness†, that is a predefined allowance of faith based expectations and qualities that are regular to individuals from a given society or gathering. Going to a similar god or lauding a similar society, which as per Durkheim are one in the equivalent, empowers the turn of even ts and support of an all things considered held arrangement of ethics, qualities, morals, and convictions.