Forms of thought and forms of society: Durkheim and the question of the categories

Abstract

This paper explores issues that arise from Durkheim's theory of the categories in The Elementary Forms of the Religious Life focusing on his view of judgment as central to all human experience, together with his account of form and of relation, and stressing the communicative importance he assigns to the representations - a key aspect of his ceuvre neglected by recent interpretations. It will be suggested that only by examining Durkheim's earlier works can we fully make sense of the relationship between religion and knowledge he establishes, i. e. why he refers to the beliefs and practices of totemic societies to provide a sociological answer to one of the most debated philosophical question. It will be also advocated that his intellectual background must be taken into account in evaluating his theoretical positions. © P.U.F. Tous droits réservés pour tous pays.