In this 1912 classic, a founder of modern sociology examines animism, naturism, totemism, myth, and ritual. Durkheim maintains that the source of religion and morality lies in collective consciousness, rather than in individual minds. His intriguing views are still a topic of debate among sociologists, anthropologists, ethnographers, philosophers, and theologians. Reprint of George Allen & Unwin Ltd., London, 1915 edition.
The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism by Max Weber Author's best-known and most controversial study relates the rise of a capitalist economy to the Puritan belief that hard work and good deeds were outward signs of faith and salvation.