Durkheim’s Sacred and Profane

• Sacred refers to the representations that transcend the chores of daily life. Profane, on the contrary, includes the everyday mundane and ordinary things, such as jobs, profession, daily commute, etc.
• Emile Durkheim gave the sacred-profane dichotomy, religion being his central characteristic. 
• In his concept, religion was the practice of maintaining a distance and distinguishing between sacred and profane. 
• Its importance lies in the differentiation from profane, as sacred is extraordinary and magnificent and can easily be contaminated by the unholy profane. Thus, sacred, at all costs, should remain atop a pedestal that is excellent than any other virtue.

Who was Durkheim?

• David Emile Durkheim was an eminent French sociologist. He was born on 15 April 1858.
• Earlier, he established the academic discipline of sociology. 
• He is also referred to as one of the prime architects of modern social science, sharing the platform with Karl Marx and Weber. 
• He is said to be instrumental in laying the foundations of anthropology and sociology. 
• Much of his works were based on how the societies and groups could maintain stability integrity. He also emphasised how communities could have harmony in modernity. 
• He was intensely preoccupied with the thought of accepting sociology as a definitive branch of science. 
• He believed that society should be studied on a large scale, and not just a few individuals in different groups or communities. 
• He remained a predominant force in the intellectual lives of French people. He died in the year 1917.

Check out the complete UPSC Syllabus

What do you mean by sacred?

• Sacred, according to Durkheim, was something that was beyond the reach of mortals. Sacred was supernatural, extraordinary, and in possession of dangerous powers that could only be approached through prayers, rituals, rites, etc. 
• Anything and everything can be sacred until a community or society specifies it. It can be an inanimate object, like a tree or a bare rock, or a living, breathing organisms, like a person or an animal. 
• Once identified as sacred, they become symbols of religious ideas, beliefs, sentiments, and practices.

What do you mean by profane?

Profane is the mundane, unholy part. It should in no way cross the boundaries of what is sacred or come into contact with it. It is believed to contaminate the holy in some way or the other.

Visit to know more about UPSC Preparation Books

How can this idea be used to know and understand our society?

• Sacred refers to supernatural things beyond our control, forbidden and apart. At the same time, profane includes things people encounter or use in their lives. 
• The realms of sacred and profane are mutually exclusive. According to Durkheim, these religious rituals, beliefs, ideas, and notions brought together people from different spheres of life. They also integrated and united them, enhancing the mutual sharing of collective sentiments. 

Transformation of Sacred-Profane to Secularism 

• With the advent of science, secularism has increased to a vast extent. The things and practices earlier considered religious and sacred do not fall under the same category now. Blessed is no longer restricted to holy places like churches or temples but has different meanings in each and everyone’s life. 
• Morality was once a sacred virtue but has now been derailed by modern society. People used to seek advice from them. Today, morality only exists as a fact whether or not a person violates a particular ethical principle. Thus, its definition has changed from person to person, rendering it more secular.
• At least people native to the West do not associate themselves with the sacred and profane. They do not indulge themselves in rituals, beliefs, etc. Religious ideologies fall under private practices, and knowledge, science, and rationalism have taken over. These notions change amongst the masses. Hence, they come under the sphere of secular.

Read about UPSC Notes

How are they mutually exclusive, yet so closely linked?

• Anything becomes either sacred or profane depending upon the specific community. A particular group or society identifies it to be so. 
• Because of extreme emotional attitudes, they both are closely linked somehow. 
• Sacred can never be questioned or by any means be challenged by the unholy or profane. It rests on a fixed pedestal to the extent that it succeeds in covering itself from profane. 
• Any possible breach is thought to be sacrilegious, whose consequences are to be faced after that.

Conclusion

• Sacred objects are the ones that have particular importance. They always ought to be treated with respect. 

• But it should be noted that they are not special intrinsically; instead, they are made special by certain groups or communities. 
• Profane, on the other is attached to no such unique or specific meanings by any community. 
• Durkheim’s concept of sacred and profane has contributed to understanding religion from ancient, medieval to modern times.
•  It also aids in paving a way to understand and know more about contemporary society.