Sociology

Durkheim believed that the causes behind the existence of religion should not be neglected without due investigation, as it is one of the most powerful social systems prevalent in society. He felt there was some human need that caused even the most irrational of religion rituals to exist, and thus Durkheim first questions what human motive formed religion. He began to uncover the factors behind the development of religion and its relation to evolution of human societies. He analyzed the common aspects of all religions, beginning from early aboriginal religions such as totemism, so as to trace the phenomenon from its roots. He considers religious practices to have evolved constantly with the growth of society. 

Durkheim also observes religions to have the same categories found in society, and thus believes that religious thought to be an extension of social groups. He points out how criminals and lunatics are treated differently by society even though intellect and morality are just two categories, morality seems to have more importance in society, in accordance with religious thought. Durkheim questions if religion and society have evolved by learning from its experiences of the past as per empiricist doctrine, or if such knowledge has been an integral part of the human intellect.

2) Connection between religion and society
Religion, according to Durkheim, was not merely a shared belief but an elementary source of social identity. Durkheim felt that all religions shared common ground in offering a feeling of collective security and emotional support to man. While the core of any religion is the concept of holding an entity sacred, practicing rituals to honor the sacred entity and prohibiting certain things as forbidden can be considered the origin of religious thought. The church was a group that shared these beliefs and ensured the members of the group adhered to those beliefs.

Religion, in its purest form, began when man started believing that only gods and spiritual beings outside of the perceivable world were sacred. Durkheim believed this stage marked the beginning of an era where society became an inseparable part of human existence. Therefore, the religion into which an individual is born into plays a vital role in defining a persons moral boundaries and structuring hisher value systems.