Émile Durkheim

The sacred is not inherently good or bad, but simply set apart. Like that weird uncle at family gatherings.

When individuals are left to their own devices, they tend to be rather lost. Society, it seems, is a necessary evil, or perhaps, a necessary good.

The collective consciousness is a reality sui generis. It's not just a sum, it's a whole new beast.

Crime, far from being an abnormal phenomenon, is an integral part of all healthy societies. So, perhaps we should all embrace our inner delinquent, in moderation, of course.

The social fact is a thing. And like all things, it can be observed, measured, and, dare I say, occasionally mocked.

The more developed a society, the more it tends to replace mechanical solidarity with organic solidarity. It's a bit like trading a simple, sturdy wagon for a complex, sometimes temperamental automobile.

Religion is not merely a system of ideas, but a system of forces. And sometimes, those forces can be quite amusingly irrational.

The individual is not the starting point of social life, but its product. A rather humbling thought for those who believe they are entirely self-made.

The moral life begins when we enter into relation with others. Before that, it's just a free-for-all.

The social environment is the true laboratory of the sociologist. And sometimes, the experiments are rather messy.

The more specialized the functions, the more interdependent the individuals. It's a delicate balance, easily upset by a misplaced coffee cup.

Society is a reality sui generis. It's not just a collection of people, it's a whole different animal. And sometimes, a rather peculiar one.

The individual is not an isolated atom; he is part of a whole, and his consciousness is conditioned by the collective consciousness.

Society is not a mere sum of individuals; it is a system formed by their association, and it has its own reality.

To be free is not to do what one pleases; it is to be master of oneself, to know how to act according to reason and duty.

The true function of religion is not to make us think, but to make us act.

Life is a perpetual creation.

Collective representations are the result of an immense cooperation which has extended not only in space but also in time.

The individual is born of society, not society of the individual.

The cult is not simply a system of signs by which the faith is outwardly expressed; it is the sum total of the means by which the collective consciousness is kept alive.