SOCL 3101 : Alternative Theories (97% in the course
Theoretical Sociology- 9/22
Alternative theories
-Animism-naturism
-sociologically there are no false religions, humans are responding to what they
experience
-naturism: begin the argument that human beings experience these big powerful
forces in nature
-primitive man being rational would start to prescribe sacred characteristics to
these great earthly wonders (hurricanes, tprnadoes, wind, earth, water)
-then if religion was really born, forces thus imagined would be no more powerful
than those perceived by scientists because of today’s facts
-man nor nature has sacred characteristic, have to get it from someone else
-
Totemism-Arunta
-Totemism is the most basic and simple religion that simply seperates the sacred
from the profane and the church is the moral community
-clan, species, emblem
-two essential traits: individual that compose it consider bond together by
kindship, relationship doesn’t come from definite blood
connection. Relatives from same name, single family. All are equally
related
-recognize duties for each other, relations of kinship
- world that designates clan also designates the species, and totem: Idea
and or word that also designates a species of things (clan of kangaroo,
lizard, humans)
-totem emblems are physical things, which carvings or designs that stand
for this connection and call out between the totem species and the clan.
-having greatest quality of sacredness, totem species have a sacred quality,
really the object of ritual life is directed to the emblem more than species
life itself
-objects themselves which are elevated to being set apart and for binned,
or of having power and the object of ritual behavior, not the species
-sacred quality of emblem.
-not only is the power outside the individual it is a power that can be
experiences internally as well
- body/soul distinction
-every man is invested in the clan with a sacred material
-personal sacredness that the man believes that while he is a man, he is
also a man or a plant of the totemic species. Identity of name is supposed
to imply that he himself is sacred, acting as a part of the nature and whole
totem
-two beings co-exist within him, the man and the animal (totemic)
-communion gives this sense of community together for the common man
