Purity and Danger. An analysis of concept of pollution and taboo

What does the concept of purity actually mean? Why is it a universal theme in all societies?

In Purity and Danger, Mary Douglas identifies the concern for purity as a key theme for every society. She offers an approach to conceptualizing the rules of purity by investigating what is considered unclean in various cultures, clarifying the symbolism of what is regarded as clean and dirty from the perspective of order in secular and religious, modern and primitive life. Douglas unveils the profound influence these concepts have on our attitudes toward society, values, cosmology, and knowledge.

The book has exerted an extraordinary influence across numerous fields, from religion to social theory. Perhaps its most significant role is in offering every reader a new explanation for human behavior. Purity and Danger is recognized as a modern masterpiece of anthropology and is widely cited in non-anthropological research. In 1995, the Times Literary Supplement included the book among the hundred most influential non-fiction works published since the Second World War. Through the philosophy of religion and science, and with a holistic approach to classification, Douglas demonstrates the exceptional significance of anthropological research.