The phenomenon of religion in Max Weber and Emile Durkheim: A comparative approach

This study includes the views of two important thinkers of the science of sociology, Max Weber and Emile Durkheim, on the phenomenon of religion. For this purpose, the similarities and differences in religious views were tried to be determined by taking as reference the views of Max Weber and Emile Durkheim, like other social scientists, on the phenomenon of religion in their works. Coming from two different sociological segments of society, Weber, who was influenced by the neo-Kantian and German sociological tradition, and Durkheim, who was influenced by the French positivist sociological tradition, are among the classics not only of sociology but also of the sociology of religion. The theories of Max Weber and Emile Durkheim still have an impact on today's sociology and sociology of religion. Weber's views on the phenomenon of religion are included in his work "Protestant Ethics and the Capitalist Spirit". In this work, Weber stated that "it is impossible to say what religion is and to make such a definition at the beginning of the research." Durkheim wrote down his views on religion in his work "Primitive Forms of Religious Life". In this work, Durkheim states that "in order to determine the simplest and most primitive religion that can be introduced to us by observation, we must first define what is correctly understood as religion." In addition, in the study, sociological approaches in general are briefly and concisely mentioned in order to better understand the sociological perspectives of Weber and Durkheim. In addition, under the title of "Social Reality of Religion", the study also touches upon the birth and development of the sociology of religion, the place and importance of religion in the field of social science, and the function of religion in social events. In the last part of the study, Weber's and Durkheim's views on the phenomenon of religion are presented comparatively.