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Captive Gods: Religion and the Rise of Social Science
Philosopher Kwame Anthony Appiah explores how early social scientists developed our modern understandings of society through their theories of religion
The foundations of modern social science were built on the study of religion, the acclaimed thinker Kwame Anthony Appiah argues. Delving into the intellectual currents of the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, he investigates how formative thinkers—notably Edward Burnett Tylor, Émile Durkheim, Georg Simmel, and Max Weber—grappled with the concepts of society and religion as interdependent categories. Appiah shows how their efforts to define religion, or evade the task, mark the power and limitations of social thought in ways that persist among theorists today. Religion was not merely an object of study but a framework through which early social scientists established sociology as a discipline.
Appiah also examines more recent work in both interpretive sociology and evolutionary and cognitive psychology about the mechanisms through which communities form beliefs and values—while underscoring the enduring significance of these earlier debates for contemporary social thought. Throughout, he intertwines storytelling, historical analysis, and philosophical reflection to show how our ideas about society and culture have been, and continue to be, forged in dialogue with religious questions.
The foundations of modern social science were built on the study of religion, the acclaimed thinker Kwame Anthony Appiah argues. Delving into the intellectual currents of the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, he investigates how formative thinkers—notably Edward Burnett Tylor, Émile Durkheim, Georg Simmel, and Max Weber—grappled with the concepts of society and religion as interdependent categories. Appiah shows how their efforts to define religion, or evade the task, mark the power and limitations of social thought in ways that persist among theorists today. Religion was not merely an object of study but a framework through which early social scientists established sociology as a discipline.
Appiah also examines more recent work in both interpretive sociology and evolutionary and cognitive psychology about the mechanisms through which communities form beliefs and values—while underscoring the enduring significance of these earlier debates for contemporary social thought. Throughout, he intertwines storytelling, historical analysis, and philosophical reflection to show how our ideas about society and culture have been, and continue to be, forged in dialogue with religious questions.
344 pages, Hardcover
Published October 7, 2025
About the author
Kwame Anthony Appiah
114 books448 followersKwame Anthony Appiah, the president of the PEN American Center, is the author of The Ethics of Identity, Thinking It Through: An Introduction to Contemporary Philosophy, The Honor Code and the prize-winning Cosmopolitanism. Raised in Ghana and educated in England, he has taught philosophy on three continents and is a former professor at Princeton University and currently has a position at NYU.
Series:
* Sir Patrick Scott Mystery (as Anthony Appiah)
Series:
* Sir Patrick Scott Mystery (as Anthony Appiah)
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
June 22, 2026
I really appreciate Appiah's interest in retracing the steps of the founding fathers of sociology. His short biography of Dubois also spends considerable time on the German heavyweights who helped Dubois become such a titan of sociology himself. In any case, this books hones in on the early but still meaningful sociological debates about the definition and meanings of religion.
August 1, 2026
Captive Gods: Religion and the Rise of Social Science is an illuminating and intellectually sophisticated exploration of the profound relationship between religion and the development of modern social thought. Kwame Anthony Appiah masterfully demonstrates that religion was not merely one subject among many for the founders of sociology and anthropology but a central framework through which they sought to understand society itself.
Rather than presenting the emergence of the social sciences as a straightforward move away from religion, Appiah reveals how foundational thinkers such as Edward Burnett Tylor, Émile Durkheim, Georg Simmel, and Max Weber relied upon religious concepts to construct their theories of social order, culture, and human community. His analysis highlights the enduring influence of these debates on contemporary sociology, philosophy, and the study of religion.
One of the book's greatest strengths is its seamless integration of intellectual history, philosophical analysis, and social theory. Appiah skillfully traces the evolution of ideas while encouraging readers to reconsider familiar assumptions about secularization, belief, and the origins of modern social science. His nuanced treatment of both historical figures and contemporary scholarship creates a rich and engaging narrative.
The discussion of how religion shaped the methodological foundations of sociology is particularly compelling. Appiah demonstrates that the attempts to define—or deliberately avoid defining—religion continue to influence present-day debates concerning culture, identity, morality, and collective life. His engagement with recent developments in interpretive sociology, evolutionary theory, and cognitive psychology further strengthens the book's contemporary relevance.
The book's clarity, elegant prose, and interdisciplinary breadth make it accessible to both specialists and general readers interested in the history of ideas. It succeeds in revealing the deep intellectual connections between philosophy, religion, anthropology, and sociology while inviting thoughtful reflection on the enduring significance of religious thought in understanding human societies.
Captive Gods: Religion and the Rise of Social Science will appeal to readers interested in sociology, philosophy, religious studies, intellectual history, social theory, anthropology, the history of ideas, cognitive science of religion, and the history of social science.
Overall, Kwame Anthony Appiah delivers a thoughtful, original, and intellectually rewarding study that reshapes our understanding of the origins of modern social science while illuminating the continuing importance of religion in the development of social thought.
Rather than presenting the emergence of the social sciences as a straightforward move away from religion, Appiah reveals how foundational thinkers such as Edward Burnett Tylor, Émile Durkheim, Georg Simmel, and Max Weber relied upon religious concepts to construct their theories of social order, culture, and human community. His analysis highlights the enduring influence of these debates on contemporary sociology, philosophy, and the study of religion.
One of the book's greatest strengths is its seamless integration of intellectual history, philosophical analysis, and social theory. Appiah skillfully traces the evolution of ideas while encouraging readers to reconsider familiar assumptions about secularization, belief, and the origins of modern social science. His nuanced treatment of both historical figures and contemporary scholarship creates a rich and engaging narrative.
The discussion of how religion shaped the methodological foundations of sociology is particularly compelling. Appiah demonstrates that the attempts to define—or deliberately avoid defining—religion continue to influence present-day debates concerning culture, identity, morality, and collective life. His engagement with recent developments in interpretive sociology, evolutionary theory, and cognitive psychology further strengthens the book's contemporary relevance.
The book's clarity, elegant prose, and interdisciplinary breadth make it accessible to both specialists and general readers interested in the history of ideas. It succeeds in revealing the deep intellectual connections between philosophy, religion, anthropology, and sociology while inviting thoughtful reflection on the enduring significance of religious thought in understanding human societies.
Captive Gods: Religion and the Rise of Social Science will appeal to readers interested in sociology, philosophy, religious studies, intellectual history, social theory, anthropology, the history of ideas, cognitive science of religion, and the history of social science.
Overall, Kwame Anthony Appiah delivers a thoughtful, original, and intellectually rewarding study that reshapes our understanding of the origins of modern social science while illuminating the continuing importance of religion in the development of social thought.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews