Durkheim Religion Functionalism

Religion can be said to be the oldest form of culture. However the legitimacy of religion now be questioned by scientific supremacy. Now religions need to prove the legitimacy of their existence, and to prove himself difference from the "superstition". If we want be clear to the difference between religion and superstition, the essence of religion must be define clearly. What is religion is a opinions vary question, this paper we will introduce the functional principle of Emile Durkheim about the essence of religion, what we called religion functionalism.As a sociologist Emile Durkheim define religion in his book The Elementary Forms of the Religions Life. He analysis of the totem worship of primitive tribes in Australia and America and define religion as society. He believe that religion is an expression form of society, God or other things to be worshipped in the religion often plays a role in social as a condensation nuclei, people collective identity because they worship the same God. Society in the face of religion determines the human life and maintain the unity and stability of the human society. Behind the seemingly irrational religious theory and the absurd religious ritual is a must be reason. It is arouse the social members’ sense of collective identity. This is why many activities such as prayer ceremony, often is invalid and religions seems enjoy them. That is, the morality imposed by religion actually represents the requirement of the society for its members. Just as the social members in order to join the collective must comply with the order or the necessary constraints. So religion is an indispensable element for social stability. Emile Durkheim said that the significance of religion existence lies in its function. That is his religion functionalism.