Purity and Danger

Durkheim (1858-1917) was a French sociologist and considered the founder of modern social science. His principal interest was how societies could maintain their coherence and identity in a modern era in which traditional religious and cultural ties were weakened. He originated the commonly-used term “collective consciousness.” His notable works include The Division of Labor in Society, On the Normality of Crime, and Suicide. Mary Douglas is considered an intellectual disciple of Durkheim and cites him with frequency in Purity and Danger.

Smith (1846-1894) was an English minister and orientalist who helped create the field of comparative religion with his book The Religion of the Semites (1889).He was a notable influence of Durkheim and is one of the group of early anthropologists cited by Douglas in her discussion of religion and ritual.

Frazer (1854-1941) was a Scottish anthropologist and folklorist, much interested in mythology and comparative religion. His book The Golden Bough (1890) attempted to show similarities among religious beliefs of different peoples around the world. Douglas criticizes Frazer's evolutionist theory that mankind had progressed through three successive stages: magic, religion, and science.

Eliade (1907-1986) was a Romanian author and historian of religion, a leading interpreter of religious experience. His works encompass both scholarly books and novels. Douglas quotes Eliade in light of his opinion that some primitive cultures confuse the sacred and the unclean, and also to discuss his views of the religious symbolism of water.

Levy-Bruhl (1857-1939) was a French philosopher, sociologist, and anthropologist. He was noted for his inquiries into the categories of thought exhibited by “primitive” versus modern people. Douglas cites him extensively on a variety of topics, including witchcraft beliefs, and criticizes his views of the “primitive mentality.”