A point in class that resounded within me was how Durkheim’s definition of the soul is vastly different than our modern view. When I did the reading, I was confused because I tried to understand the modern view of the soul through Durkheim’s explanation. In reality, the soul is completely different for Durkheim. The modern view of the soul sees the soul as the human part of us. The body is the vessel through which our soul and personality can interact with the world. Because of this, the soul is considered extremely personal. Everyone has a soul that is separate from the souls of others. This is why you here the words “soul mate” when someone is talking about his or her spouse. We believe there is one other soul/person, separate from everyone else, that we are meant to be with for the rest of our lives.
Durkheim’s idea of the soul appears to be much less individual. While he would agree that the soul is where the personality comes from, he would argue that the personality comes from the same force or “mana”. The only difference between each person is a temporal boundary that causes the “mana” to be refracted into different personalities (273). This is why the soul is viewed as immortal to the indigenous tribes. They believe the soul carries on after death with the life force of the clan. Within each member of the clan is a part of the clan’s collective soul.