Sacred things are considered superior in dignity and power to profane things and particularly to man. In relation to the sacred, humans are inferior and dependant. This relationship between humanity and sacred things is exactly the relationship between humanity and society. Society is more important and powerful than the individual. Durkheim argues that primitive man comes to view society as something sacred because he is utterly dependant on it.
Durkheim argues that social life is impossible without the shared values and moral beliefs which form the ‘collective conscience’. In their absence, there would be no social order, social control, social solidarity or cooperation. In short, there would be no society. Religion reinforces the collective conscience. The worship of society strengthens the values and moral beliefs which form the basis of social life. By defining them as sacred, religion provides them with greater power to direct human action. The attitude of respect towards the sacred if the same attitude applied to social duties and obligations. In worshipping society, people are, in effect, recognising the importance of the social group and their dependence on it. In this way religion strengthens the unity of the group, it promotes social solidarity.
Durkheim emphasizes the importance of collective worship. The social group comes together in religious rituals infused with drama and reverence. Together, its members express their faith in common values and beliefs. In this highly charged atmosphere of collective worship, the integration of society is strengthened. Members of society express, communicate and understand the moral bonds which unite them.
All of these points seem to suggest that the view that society id the real object of religious veneration is an accurate view of religion and society.
However, Durkheim’s views have met quite a few criticisms. Some anthropologists have argues that he is not justified in seeing totemism as a religion. Most sociologists believe that Durkheim has overstated his case. Whilst agreeing that religion is important for promoting social solidarity and reinforcing social vales, they would not support the view that religion is the worship of society. Durkheim’s views on religion are more relevant to small, non-literate societies; where there is a close integration of culture and social institutions, where work, leisure, education and family life tend to merge and where members share a common belief and value system. There are less relevant to modern societies, which have many subcultures, social and ethnic groups, specialised organisations and a range of religious beliefs, practices and institutions.
