Research paper prompts and requirements are in the photo attached below. Please use the book "Philosophy of Social Science" by Martin Hollis as a reference!!

Running head: RELIGION 1

RELIGION 5

Religion

Name

Date

Religion

Introduction

Religion is a socio-cultural construct that alludes to the belief system, practices, morals, perspectives, organizations, ethics, convictions, texts as well as hallowed placed, which elements are imposed upon a selection of individuals. Aside from the imposition, the factors are readily embraced by the faithfuls who are exceptionally keen on the adherence to and devotion to these elements, which are premised upon a belief in the supernatural. Essentially, it is the socio-cultural phenomenon that attempts to establish a connection between the supernatural or divine with humanity. However, scholars have failed over the ages to come up with a conventional consensus as to the universally accepted definition of the term religion. Therefore, the definitions have taken to consolidating the elements that these scholars have agreed to constitute religion, instead of developing one definition or description.

Most people subscribe to different religions for different reasons, the most common being familiarity and conventions. Necessarily, individuals are born into communities and families that already pay homage to certain beliefs, and they are therefore automatically indoctrinated into thee religions out of association with their respective communities, or as a consequence of being the children of their parents. They grow into the precincts of the said religion and embrace the practices and belief systems that come with them. However, a philosophical appreciation of why communities resort to rituals and why individuals continue to subscribe to these phenomena provide specific insight into the place of religion in society (Genova, 2016). This paper, therefore, interrogates a Durheimian appreciation to the precincts of religion, applying a functionalist or structuralism connotation to the concepts. It then proceeds to counter the same with a Wittgensteinian recognition of the phenomenon. Finally, the paper compares the two perspectives, settling on a proper appreciation of the concept of religion and religiosity.

Functionalist/ structuralist model of appreciation

Emile Durkheim gained notoriety from his sociological appreciation of the society, which focused on the study of the structure of society. He looked into the social constructs of the made communities, and how these factors informed the evolution of the traditional way of life to the modern and contemporary settings. His most notable works revolved around his functionalist approach towards appreciating the precincts of life, which emphasizes social equilibrium. According to him, the society strives to attain and maintain a sense of stability and balance. It is made up of numerous functional parts that cannot function without each other, and thus, the moment something happens to upset the balance of societal equilibrium, these parts react by adjusting the factors to recover the balance. He believed that the society depended upon the development of acceptable values and norms, which elements the inhabitants were expected to adhere to, failure of which the balance would be disrupted. This disruption would occasion a reaction from society to rectify it.

As regards religion, Durkheim propagated the functionalist approach as a proponent for the need for faith. According to him, religion is inherently social, both in its constructs and origin. He insists that religion is a vital part of the social construct, especially in the sense that it provides a premise for cohesion, social control as well as giving a purpose to live in general. Further, the purview of religion proceeds to offer guidelines in the form of norms and values, which essentially places a system of checks and balances in society (Harre, 2017). Therefore, in maintaining the social equilibrium, the purview of religion provides the necessary elements for reconstruction, thresholds as well as for the restatement of balance. However, the centrality that doctrine occupies within the societal constructs of the society connotes the vital part that it plays in the definition of morals and values. Therefore, Durkheim also appreciates the fact that there are numerous problems that humanity faces because of its reliance and adherence to religious doctrines and precedents.

Wittgensteinian/ Winchean perspective of religion

Wittgenstein argued in favor of a theory of language that he termed as the representational theory of communication. According to him, the world, or the reality of the society, is a large picture or collection of facts which is only representable through the construction of language to capture the essence of the events of the image. However, this representation is only accurate in the instance that the word applied is of logical consequence. His theory evolved into a form that came to be known as the logical positivism, which approach connotes the place of language, not as a static function in the society, but as a fluid concept that changes with time and circumstance. This version of his theory appreciated the fact that language was applied in a context, and therefore, had to be interpreted in terms of the prevailing circumstances (Jensen, 2019). He is popularly quoted as saying, "It ain't what you say, it's the way that you say it, and the context in which you say it. Words are how you use them".

His theory is not constrained to the precipitates of language, but also extends to the application in religion. Just like language, religion is a construct of the society, with its peculiar applicability to the specific community from which it emanates. Therefore, the probability that a member of another society would appreciate and embrace another religion is highly unlikely, considering that the religious edicts of a particular setting respond accurately to its peculiar needs and circumstances. Further, the language of every religion differs from one society to the other. Language in this context embraces dynamism and pragmatism, shifting and responding to social and societal demands (Pals, 2017). However, the purview of language is also heavily dependent on the parties involved in the process, as they both must be conversant with the language for there to be proper communication in the long run.

Comparative appreciation

The two theories and philosophies from the scholars above provide insight as to the constructs of the social phenomenon that is religion. There are some features that they share, though they are distinct in several ways. For instance, both theories appreciate the fact that the origins of religion are premised upon the values of individual communities, taking into consideration their various circumstances (Stanner, 2017). Both theories agree on the fact that the precincts of belief determine the progression of society, as the concept determines the nature of norms, values, and projections. Therefore, they both agree on the fact that the purview of religion is critical in maintaining the cohesion and integration of society, albeit in their different ways.

On the other hand, these theories conflict fundamentally as regards some very vital elements. For instance, the fact that Emile Durkheim's theory considers religion as a static element in society. The constructs of the organization are pegged upon the considerations of religion, taking into advisement the precincts of the values it espouses as well as the norms and values that the concept offers. On the other hand, the theory of language or logical positivism envisions a dynamic and pragmatic phenomenon that changes from time to time. Whereas religion changes society, the case of language is different, considering that society evolves it. It is flexible to the constructs of society and therefore depends on the progression of the organization so that it turns.

References

Genova, J. (2016). Wittgenstein: A way of seeing. routledge.

Harré, R. (2017). Wittgenstein and psychology: A practical guide. Routledge.

Jensen, J. S. (2019). What is religion?. Routledge.

Pals, D. L. (2015). Nine theories of religion. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Stanner, W. E. (2017). Reflections on Durkheim and aboriginal religion. In Social Organization and Peasant Societies (pp. 217-240). Routledge.