Compare and contrast the views of Tylor-Frazer, Marx-Freud, and Durkheim-Geertz
Religion, according to Tylor and Frazer, consisted of the belief of individuals in the existence of supernatural beings who wielded incredible power; they believed it was a rational and conscious decision to believe. Marx believed that alienation was the primary cause of religion, as it helped to keep classes apart, and said it was the "opium of the people," while Freud thought it was an illusion that people wished to believe in to simply have something to believe in. Durkheim and Geertz, however, believed that religion itself was based around the sacred - in symbols, or totems, that had either ...
