Collective consciousness
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Collective consciousness refers to the shared beliefs and moral attitudes which operate as a unifying force within society. This term was used by the French social theorist Émile Durkheim (1858-1917) in his books The Division of Labour (1893), The Rules of Sociological Method (1895), Suicide (1897), and The Elementary Forms of Religious Life (1912).
In The Division of Labour, Durkheim argued that in "traditional" or "simpler" societies (those based around clan, family or tribal relationships), religion played an important role in uniting members through the creation of a common consciousness (conscience collective in the original French). In societies of this type, the contents of an individual's consciousness are largely shared in common with all other members of their society, creating a mechanical solidarity through mutual likeness.
See also
- Collective unconscious
- Collective effervescence
- Collective intelligence
- Collective unconsciousness
- Crowd psychology
- Group behaviour
- Noosphere
- Oral culture
- Singularity
- Zeitgeist
