Functionalist And Marxist Perspective On Religion Essay

Also known as the social conflict approach, brushup of capitalism. According to Marx, in a capitalist friendship, faith plays a vital role in keep uping an unequal society, in which authentic groups of people begin more resources and power than other groups of people. For Marx, Ideology is a judgment administration that changes peoples perception of reality in ways that serves the liaison of the ruling class. He argues that the class that come across economic production excessively controls the production and distribution of ideas in society, through institutions such as churches, tuition system etc. In Marxs view worship operates as an ideological weapon used by the ruling class to dislodge the suffering of the poor as something inevitable and God-given.The Marxist perspective, persist that righteousness operate as a drug to dull the pain of exploitation, because religion is a distorted view of the world, it can offer no termination to earthly misery. Instead, it pro mises rewards in the afterlife that creates an illusion of happiness which distracts attention from the dead on target source of suffering, namely capitalism. Marx argued that the ruling class used religion as a tool to keep the less powerful proletariat pacified.He argued that religion was able to do this by promising rewards in the afterlife, preferably of in this life. Marx was calling for the proletariat todiscard religion and its deceit most other worldly events, only then would this class of people be able to rise up against the ruling class and gain control of the delegacy of production and only then would they achieve real rewards. present we can see the social-conflict approach to religious highlights how religion, as a phenomenon of humankind behaviour functions to maintain social inequality by providing a worldview that justifies oppression. Because Marx was act to criticizing the prevailing organization of society during his time, he took a particular place towar ds religion. He believed that this was a tool of social control used to maintain an unequal society and that it should be abolished.Functionalist perspective on religion (Emile Durkheim)Durkheim schema that all religion share three elements1. Beliefs are held by a follower.2. Practices and Rituals.3. Moral community.The functionalist perspective states that religion is universal, there are functions that it fulfils for society. It satisfies individual necessarily and religion give people a sense of identity. These functions are1. It submit social unity to help maintain social solidarity through divided up rituals and believes. 2. Social control to enforce religious-based morals and norms to help maintain treaty and control in society. 3. Religion offers meaning and purpose to answer school principal of existence. Durkheim argued that religion acted as a source of solidarity and identification for the individuals within a society. Religion provided a meaning for life, it provide d authority figures, and most importantly for Durkheim, it fortify the morals and social norms held collectively by all within a society. Functionalist saw it as a critical part of the social system, as it provides social control, cohesion, and purpose for people, as well as another means of communication and gathering for individuals to interact and reaffirm social norms. Secondly, Functionalist approach identifies certain elements of religious beliefs that are common across different cultures.A belief in a supernatural realm is not necessary or common among religions, but the separation of different aspects of life, physical things, and certainbehaviors into 2 categories 1. Sacred Objects and behaviors that are considered part of the spiritual or religious world. cognoscible through extraordinary experiences. 2. Profane Everything else in the world that do not have a religious function or hold religious meaning. Knowable through normal empirical observation. Functionalists be lieve that religion is an execution of socialization, and the role of socialization religion plays is that of cultural learning.It believes that society represents an external demarcation line as norms and values regulate and limit our behaviour. Both Marxism and Functionalism theories take the big world view and that elements of human culture must be understood in terms of their relationship to a larger structure. It studies the frameworks of society and how society shaped our behaviour. Marxs theory of religion needs to be seen in the context of his general view of society, capitalism dominates the working class. Whereas functionalism sees religion as a unifying force and a feature all societies. Marxism sees religion as a feature only of class divided society.