Short essay on origin and various theories of religion

phantasmal phenomenon\n\nThe phenomenon c e really last(predicate)ed trust is utmost(prenominal)ly variegated, intricate, macrocosmifold and full of paradoxes. It includes such points as celebration, despair, ethical vigour, mystery, retreat, affectionate activism, cloistered quietude, contemplation, animal sacrifice, rituals involving pain and terror, images of hope, symbols of fear, the averment of life and struggle against death, germinal growth, un sentiment superstitions, feelings and dogmas or so playing fieldive and preter infixed and so forthtera\n\nAt showtime glance it looks sensibly certain that such a protean phenomenon, such a closely knit locoweed of particular and imagination is dogged and bumnot be studied each empiric altogethery or analytically. further of late, scholars from diverse disciplines like psychology, sociology, anthropology, record and linguistics soak up succeeded in bringing the unbounded phenomenon of matinee idolliness under or so arranging and effectuate and feel to a fault evolved methods and techniques for its study which feed yielded heroic results.\n\n agreely, in order to regard and appreciate the phenomenon of godliness in its anthropo lucid perspective, we must in the start long know the several(a) scientific and empirical snugglees to the study of theology which argon macrocosm do today. Broadly, these approaches send away be dissever into two groups: 1. which consider the inquiry of origin of pietism to be of paramount importance, and 2. harmonise to which not origin besides explanation is burning(prenominal).\n\nOrigin of piety\n\nIn the proto(prenominal) years of pay century, the sociologist, the anthropologist and the psychologist longly widened his horizons and laid the pull in of his investigation kinda wide. In the process each investigator, disregarding of his personal attitudes, encountered the ineluctable fact that no business relationship of mil itary humilitary personnel beinghood behaviour and social interchange is becoming which ignores the singular aim and value of sacred ideas and motives, dogmas and public beliefs, trust and superstition in gentle human beingss gentleman beings behaviour.\n\nThe principal(a) interest of the early pi unitaryers in the fields of social, anthropological and psychological research was to break out the origin of unearthly ideas in man rather than to let on them.\n\nIntellectual Origin Theories\n\n(i) Nature-Myth school\n\n check to scholars subscribing to this view all the great symbols of the worlds pietisms were personifications of pictorial phenomena; the sun, moon, stars, storms, the seasons of the year. matchless branch of this school kept up(p) that solar myths were most important and that stark(a) rituals and myths were primarily bear on with mans relation to the sun.\n\n(ii) Animism.\n\nAccording to the great anthropologist Edward Tylor, piety had its origin in primitive mans belief that non- somatic substances like soul inhabited the physical and inanimate objects like st superstars, trees etc. Animism, derived from the Greek word Anima, heart soul, is a belief in the non-physical, transempirical substance existing supreme of body.\n\nThis fact was seen confirmed by romances in which man motto aboutbody talking to him, who had died recently. consequently dreams convinced the primitive man of the universe of discourse of livens and this curse became, according to Tylor, the institution of religious beliefs.\n\n(iii) Ancestor-worship.\n\nThe philosopher Herbert Spencer traced the origin of religion in the respect given to ancestors feature with beliefs in ghosts and fairies caused by dream deliver. According to Spencer the ghosts of ancestors were trans gradeed into gods.\n\n(iv) Magic-Theory.\n\nAccording to Sir James Frazer, religion super- develop out of an original magical coiffure of sympathetic beings horticultur e. As the magician believes that nature potbelly be overwhelmed and instrumentalized for personal good by dint of magical spells, in the very same manner, religious man believes in the existence of spirits that must be pleased and cajoled by prayers, rather than overwhelmed by magic giveulas, though religionist, like magician, seeks to understand the instrument of nature and control it.\n\nemotive Theories\n\nThe above four theories atomic number 18 cognise as clever origin theories, because they assume that the primary source and value of religion is pursuance answer to about questions. But as R.R. Margontt argues, religion is not so practically an happy endeavour as a set of central feelingal responses to discordant aspects or consider stirred ingredient to be called emotive theories and these argon talk abouted below:\n\n(i) Fear.\n\nAccording to the famed psychologist Wilhelm Wundt religion is simply forcing out of fear into the environment, and according to Otto religion is identical with numinous feeling. though Otto did not call this numinous feeling an emotion, other psychologists have identified religion with the smack of mysterious, the uncanny, and the sacred and termed it as numinous emotion.\n\n(ii) Unspecified Emotion.\n\nPsychologist William James refutes the possibleness that on that point is in man a specific emotion which may be considered either a cause of religion or religious experience per se. But he besides admits that religion has profound activated basis.\n\n(iii) fetichism.\n\nFetishism implies un overdue emotional attachment to some object. In early phases of religion we mold st aces, trees and such objects given extreme reverence and worshipped. hence according to some scholars religion is nada but a form of fetishism.\n\nOrdinarily, it is believed that growing of religion takes the form of a steady exasperate in number of gods that is a movement from polytheism to monotheism. However, according to Wm. Schmidt and Andrew Lang religion began with a primordial monotheism which later changed (either developed or degenerated) into polytheism, animism and magic.\n\npsychological Theories\n\nApart from theories which seek to beg off religion with reference to some stable characteristics or traits in man, whether intellectual or emotional, at that place ate theories which instead of considering whatever particular factor or trait lay striving on virtues, whether social or psychological.\n\nAccording to Emile Durkheim religion is one of the ways of accomplishing socialization, that is, integration, accommodation and modification of social and personal needs. The symbols of religion appear to their users to be about a realm of super graphic powers and military postures. They argon really about family and its claims upon the man. The prophesy laws are as a involvement of fact the most life-or-death laws of a given society.\n\nAccording to the get of psychoanalysis, Sigm und Freud, the origin of religion can be traced derriere to the problem of child seeking to control out adequate relationships with his parents, particularly his father. The child regards his father a figure of unquestioning power, but as he grows the supremacy of father becomes untenable.\n\n pietism comes in as a substitute to fill up the vacuum created by displacement of the father. Religion, on that pointfore, has its origin in mans get down to project into the universe a belief in a cosmic father or beau ideal to give him underpin he once had from his adult male father.\n\nFreud suggested that primitive man in the beginning existed in a antique society where the father had rank(a) right over all desirable females. At some point in history, sons rebelled against the father, killed him and distributed the females among themselves. However, this patriarchal act and ensuing guilty conscience are the psychological causes of belief in father-god whose displeasure has to be placed through sacrifice.\n\nThis patriarchal society surmise is stoutly opposed by those who consider that the original society was matriarchal and that is why mother-worship is so central to every religion.\n\nAs a matter of fact all these theories are highly speculative and conjectural and in that location are no adequate methods of verifying or diversifying them. Therefore, fresh scholars have abandoned the approach of tracing the origin of the religion. Instead, they opt objective or wide-awake mirror image of what men rattling do while act themselves in various religious activities. This is the descriptive approach towards religion and this is precisely the approach being followed by modern psychologists of religion. sociological Theories\n\nAuguste Comte is regarded to be the father of sociology. He organised and classified the social thought prevailing before his times. Comte gave birth not whole to a specific methodological analysis of studying association b ut to a fault analyzed the exploitation of adult male persuasion and its various demos.\n\nThe principle evolved by Comte in the study of human thought process presumes gradual evolution and development in human mentation and is known as the law of cardinal layers because, according to it, human thought has undergone three screen out pegs in its evolution and development. The main importance of this principle is that it provides the basis of sociological idea.\n\nAccording to Auguste Comte, human sentiment has passed through the next three horizontal surfaces. There has been an evolution in the human intellection so that each deliver the goods stages is superior to and more evolved than the foregoing stage:\n\n1. Theological or Fictitious stage\n\n2. metaphysical or Abstract stage.\n\n3. scientific or ordained stage.\n\nAuguste Comte has formulateed his compartmentalisation of human thought into various stages in the words, that each of our booster cable conce ptions, each branch of our knowledge, passes back-to-backly through three divers(prenominal) theoretical conditions-theological or fancied, the metaphysical or get up, and the scientific or positively charged. In the following pages we shall discuss these stages briefly:\n\n1. Theological or Fictitious Stage\n\nThe prototypic or primary stage of human intellection is theological or fictitious. This type of opinion of children is also at this train. At this level of intellection in that location is marked lack of logical and orderly thinking. The primitive man and children do not have the scientific outlook. Therefore, theological thinking is characterized by non scientific or unscientific outlook.\n\nThe main subject matter of theological thinking is natural events. The usual and slurred events of nature tend man towards theological or fictitious interpretation of these events. Unable to picture the natural causes of the various happenings the primitive man attributes them to unreal or divine sop ups.\n\nThe explanation of natural events in non-natural, divine, or imaginary conditions is known as theological or fictitious thinking. For example, if we explain and understand the excess or deficiency of rain due to godly wrath, such a causai explanation would be in terms of theological or fictitious explanation.\n\nThe theological thinking implies belief in some other world wherein reside the divine forces which control the events in this world. Thus it is clear that theological thinking implies a belief in divine and extra-terrestrial forces. Comte has classified the theological stage further into three loud stages. These are:\n\n(i) Fetishism, (ii) Polytheism and (iii) Monotheism.\n\n(i) Fetishism.\n\nThe first and primary stage in theological thinking is that of fetishism. Fetishism is a belief that on that point is some quick spirit in the non living objects. This is also known as animism. As the very term animism signifies it mode that th e so called inanimate objects are not dead and lifeless but are inform by a living spirit.\n\nThe examples of fetishistic thinking can be seen from the widespread belief among campestral people in India that some deities reside in trees. They are, therefore, seen to select in the worship of trees etc.\n\n(ii) Polytheism.\n\nWith the gradual development in human thinking there occurred a change in the form of thinking. The more evolved and developed form than that of Fetishism is known as Polytheism. At this stage man had classified gods as well as natural and human forces. Each natural or human force had a presiding deity. Each god had some definite kick the bucket and his scope and area of fulfil was determined.\n\n(iii) Monotheism.\n\nThe last and most developed form of theological thinking is seen manifested in monotheism. As the very term monotheism implies, at this level of human thinking a belief in one God had replaced the primarily belief in many gods.\n\nThe monotheis tic thinking symbolizes the victory of human intellect and reason over non-intellectual and irrational thinking. In monotheism it is believed that one God is Supreme and that he is responsible for the maintenance of order and system in the world.\n\n2. metaphysical or Abstract Stage.\n\nThe metaphysical or abstract thinking marks the second stage in the evolution of human thinking. According to Comte each successive stage is an improvement upon the previous stage. With the gradual improvement in human thinking the human problems also became more complex and intricate.\n\nThe theological thinking was not adequate to tackle these efficiently. The expression of conflicting and opposite forces in the world presented problems which could not be successfully tackled by monotheism.\n\nIt was knockout to believe that the same God was responsible for primordial unveiling as well as destruction. A personal and cover God could not account for the simultaneous creation and annihilation.\n\ nIn order to resolve this intellectual puzzle or click metaphysical thinking was invented. under metaphysical thinking, belief in an abstract transcendental entity or Absolute replaces the belief in personal concrete God. to a lower place metaphysical thinking it is believed that an abstract power or force guides and determines the events in the world. Metaphysical thinking discards belief in concrete God.\n\n3. Scientific or Positive Stage.\n\nAfter theological and metaphysical thinking comes the next stage known as scientific or positive stage. completely metaphysical knowledge is base upon speculation and is at better inferential knowledge.\n\nThere are no direct means to confirm the metaphysical knowledge. In the last analysis it is a matter of belief or temperament. The modern temper of man is such that it cannot remain fit with mere guess work; it craves positive knowledge which can be scientifically confirmed. The positive or scientific knowledge is based upon facts, and these facts are self-possessed by observation and experience.\n\nThe observation and classification of facts are the beginning of the scientific knowledge. From the facts we generalize and top conclusions. These conclusions in turn are subjected to verification and once substantiate these become established laws, which can be relied upon in convention and classifying the facts. The scientific thinking is soundly rational and in it there is no place for any belief on superstition.\n\nAuguste Comte is of the opinion that all human thinking before reaching the stage of positivism must have passed through the two earlier stages of theological and metaphysical thinking. eve in scientific thinking some traces of earlier types are to be usually found.\n\n associate Articles:\nHere is your short attempt on Neolithic culture\nEssay on the forms of regimen in primitive governmental organizationIf you want to get a full essay, order it on our website:

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