Reading Mordecai M. Kaplan Through Emile Durkheim: Religion Concept and Collective Consciousness

Year 2018, Volume: 28 Issue: 2, 269 - 286, 31.07.2018

İbrahim Ethem Aydın

https://doi.org/10.18069/firatsbed.460952

Cited By: 2

Abstract

This
study investigates the ways in which Mordecai M. Kaplan (1881-1983), a Jewish
thinker, sociologist and philosopher, who was the founder of Reconstructionist
Judaism Movement having emerged in USA in the XXth century and who considered
Judaism as the religious civilization of the Jewish society, was influenced by
French sociologist Emeile Durkheim (1858-1917). Like many other scientists and
thinkers, Kaplan also particularly benefited from Durkheim’s religious studies
who contributed to the process in which sociology became a scientific branch.

Kaplan
especially inspired from Durkheim’s opinions such as religion concepti,
God-idea, sacred and collective
onsciousness. For Kaplan, religion is primarily a social phenomenon. To grasp
its reality, to observe its workings and to further its growth we must study
its functioning in some social group. According
to him, religion is product of community. Kaplan points out two concepts as the
social manifestation of religion. One of
them is The God-idea, the other is sacred. He places God in the center of
religious experience. For him, faith is based on God-idea. Kaplan, like
Durkheim, argues that the essence of every religion depends on the sacred
emotion. The sacred means to supreme value. People and all community may tend
to give the supreme value to particular objects, assets, persons and opinions
in the time. One of the most important aspects of Kaplan's inspiration from
Durkheim is collective counsciousness which is considered as social power in
Durkheim’s thought system. According to Kaplan, religion is living energy style
which exists in all community. For him, this social energy called collective
consciousness is the way of life of Jewish society.

Keywords

E.Durkheim, Mordecai M. Kaplan, Religion, God, Sacred, Collective Consciousness

EMILE DURKHEIM ÜZERİNDEN MORDECAI M. KAPLAN’I OKUMAK: DİN KAVRAMI VE KOLEKTİF BİLİNÇ

Abstract

Bu
makale, XX. Yüzyılda Amerika Birleşik Devletleri’nde ortaya çıkan Yahudilikte
Yeniden Yapılanma Hareketi’nin kurucusu olan ve Yahudiliği, Yahudi toplumunun
dini medeniyeti olarak gören Yahudi düşünür, sosyolog, filozof Mordecai M.
Kaplan’ın (1881-1983) Fransız sosyolog Emile Durkhem’den (1858-1917)
etkilendiği yönleri inceler. Kaplan da birçok bilim ve fikir adamı gibi, sosyolojinin
bir bilim haline gelmesinde önemli katkılar sağlayan Durkheim’ın özellikle din
alanında yaptığı çalışmalardan yararlanmıştır.

Kaplan,
Durkhem’in özellikle din kavramı, Tanrı, kutsal ve kolektif bilinç
fikirlerinden etkilenmiştir. Kaplan’a göre, din esasen sosyal bir fenomendir.
Dinin hakikatini kavramak, çalışma tarzını gözlemlemek ve gelişimini takip
etmek için bazı sosyal gruplar içinde işleyişini incelemek gerekir. Dini
toplumun bir ürünü olarak kabul eden Kaplan, dininin toplumsal tezahürü olarak
iki kavrama işaret etmektedir. Bu kavramlardan birincisi Tanrı, diğeri de
kutsaldır.O, Tanrı’yı dini
tecrübenin merkezine yerleştirmektedir. İnancın temeli onun “God-idea” dediği
“Tanrı-fikri”ne dayanır. Kaplan, Durkheim gibi her dinin özünde kutsal
duygusunun yer aldığını savunur. Kutsalın karşılığı “yüce değerdir.” Kaplan’a
göre, zaman içinde insanlar ve tüm toplumlar belli nesnelere, varlıklara,
kişilere ve fikirlere bir dokunmazlık statüsü  verme eğiliminde olabilir. Kaplan’ın
Durkheim’den ilham aldığı en önemli hususlardan biri de Durkheim düşünce
sisteminde yer alan  ve bir toplumsal güç
olarak kabul edilen kolektif bilinç kavramıdır. Kaplan’a göre din bütün sosyal
gruplarda var olan canlı bir enerji biçimidir. Kaplan için, kolektif bilinç
denilen bu toplumsal enerji Yahudi toplumunun yaşam şeklidir.

Keywords

E. Durkheim, Mordecai M. Kaplan, Din, Tanrı, Kutsal, Kolektif Bilinç

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