RG ST 1: Introduction to the Study of Religions
Analytical Essay: Freud, Durkheim, and Marx
Please read the following prompt carefully. This is an analytical essay, not a research paper. The goal is to analyze the arguments of the three theorists, rather than just summarizing their ideas. As such, successful papers will demonstrate your close, careful reading (and judicious citation) of the primary texts (i.e., the authors’ own writings as found in our text, Introducing Religion), as well as your creative engagement with the subject matter. Only quote from the authors’ own writing (not Pals’ summaries or biographies of the theorists): you must support your arguments and conclusions with strategic (i.e., brief and to the point) and relevant quotations from the authors’ own writings as found in Introducing Religion. Your papers must be meticulously written, succinct, and well-organized (with an introduction which states a thesis, a body which develops the thesis, and a conclusion).
1. Assume the intellectual position of one of the scholars you have read. Choose to be a Durkheimian, a Freudian, or a Marxist. Explain why you have chosen one over the others and then analyze the strengths and weaknesses of your position. Once you have made the choice, critique the other two scholars from your chosen scholar’s perspective. What are their methodological advantages and shortcomings? What are their flaws and strengths in defining religion? What assumptions and conclusions would you agree with and which would you find to be problematic? In short, what are the differences and similarities between the other two scholars and your new-found allegiance to a particular religious theorist?
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