Remarks on the critical edition of The Elementary Forms of Religious Life
Our critical edition of E. Durkheim’s Elementary Forms of the Religious Life, released in May 2015 by Classiques Garnier, was an occasion for expressing certain thoughts regarding the way classic texts should be published. In addition to using the elements constituting the traditional parts of a critical edition (restitution of text, citations and references, bibliography, index of names, biographical notes, index of concepts and terms), we proceeded to certain innovations considered necessary for the complete understanding of the Durkheimian text. We completed the bibliography by citing primary sources, which Durkheim had used, and we annexed reviews authored by Durkheim, pertaining to certain works cited in his magnum opus.