Epistemology and Practice: Durkheim's The Elementary Forms of Religious LifeCambridge University Press, 2005 M03 3 - 355 pages In this original and controversial book Professor Rawls argues that Durkheim's The Elementary Forms of Religious Life is the crowning achievement of his sociological endeavour and that since its publication in English in 1915 it has been consistently misunderstood. Rather than a work on primitive religion or the sociology of knowledge, Rawls asserts that it is an attempt by Durkheim to establish a unique epistemological basis for the study of sociology and moral relations. By privileging social practice over beliefs and ideas, it avoids the dilemmas inherent in philosophical approaches to knowledge and morality that are based on individualism and the tendency to privilege beliefs and ideas over practices, both tendencies that dominate western thought. Based on detailed textual analysis of the primary text, this book will be an important and original contribution to contemporary debates on social theory and philosophy. |
Contents
Introduction | 1 |
Durkheims Outline of the Argument in the Introductory | 28 |
an AntiKantian AntiRationalist | 72 |
the First Classification | 108 |
Totemism and the Problem of Individualism | 139 |
The Primacy of Rites in the Origin of Causality | 194 |
Imitative Rites and the Category of Causality | 212 |
Other editions - View all
Epistemology and Practice: Durkheim's The Elementary Forms of Religious Life Anne Warfield Rawls No preview available - 2005 |
Epistemology and Practice: Durkheim's The Elementary Forms of Religious Life Anne Warfield Rawls No preview available - 2009 |
Common terms and phrases
According to Durkheim action animal animists apriorism archaic religions Book category of causality cause clan classical collective effervescence collective representations common concepts context create critics cult deity discussion division of labor dualism Durkheim argues Durkheim says Durkheim's argument Durkheim's epistemology Durkheim's position efficacy Elementary Forms emblem emotions empirically valid empiricism empiricist enacted practices epistemological argument essential exist experience of moral feelings function human reason Hume idea of causality ideal important individual totems innate interpretation Kant Kantian logic magic meaning mimetic rites mind modern moral force narrative nature naturists objects participants particular persons phenomena philosophical primitive principle problem rational Rawls reality relations relationship religious beliefs religious practice rience ritual sacred and profane Section sensation sense shared social forces social origin social practices society sociology of knowledge sort soul symbols theory things thought tion translation treat underlying understanding unity universal