'If religion generated everything that is essential in society, this is because the idea of society is the soul of religion.' In The Elementary Forms of Religious Life (1912), Emile Durkheim set himself the task of discovering the enduring source of human social identity. He investigated what he considered to be the simplest form of documented religion - totemism among the Aborigines of Australia. Aboriginal religion was an avenue 'to yield an understanding of the religious nature of man, by showing us an essential and permanent aspect of humanity'. The need and capacity of men and women to relate socially lies at the heart of Durkheim's exploration, in which religion embodies the beliefs that shape our moral universe. The Elementary Forms has been applauded and debated by sociologists, anthropologists, ethnographers, philosophers, and theologians, and continues to speak to new generations about the origin and nature of religion and society. This new, lightly abridged edition provides an excellent introduction to Durkheim's ideas. ABOUT THE SERIES: For over 100 years Oxford World's Classics has made available the widest range of literature from around the globe. Each affordable volume reflects Oxford's commitment to scholarship, providing the most accurate text plus a wealth of other valuable features, including expert introductions by leading authorities, helpful notes to clarify the text, up-to-date bibliographies for further study, and much more.

Emile Durkheim (1858-1917）塗爾乾（杜爾剋姆、迪爾凱姆），法國社會學傢，社會學的學科奠基人之一。1858年4月15日齣生於法國孚日省埃皮納爾一個小城鎮的猶太教教士傢庭。幼年曾學習希伯萊文、舊約和猶太教法典。青年時代放棄瞭宗教信仰，走上實證科學的道路。1879年，就學於巴黎高等師範學校，1882年畢業。1882～1887年，在省立中學教書。其間赴德國一年,學習教育學、哲學、倫理學,深受W.馮特實驗心理學的影響。1887～1902年，在波爾多大學教書，並在那裏創建瞭法國第一個教育學和社會學係。1891年，被任命為法國第一位社會學教授。1898年，創建瞭法國《社會學年鑒》。圍繞這一刊物形成瞭一批年輕社會學傢的團體──法國社會學年鑒派。1902年後執教於巴黎大學。第一次世界大戰中斷瞭這位反戰學者的學術研究，他的兒子和許多學生死於戰場,他受到極大的刺激。1917年11月15日在巴黎去世。主要著作有：《社會分工論》(1893)、《社會學方法的規則》（1895）、《自殺論》(1897)、《宗教生活的基本形式》(1912)等。