Is Philosophy too close or contradictory to Religion ?

Question

Inspired by an answer from one of my contacts.

Answer 1

All I know is...

"Religious" or "Not," people are people...all of us need love and food and shelter, and genuine human affection...

Religious beliefs or not...

Let's just love each other...

(Sounds like a "reasonable divine command" to me, whether or not there is anything "divine" above ourselves...)

Answer 2

is too close... they both wish to put what cannot be understood (the sacred part of the universe) into frames, they both aspire to find out the truth about existence and they both want to discover a path to happiness (Golden Age)...

moreover there are philosophers who simply followed or denied, consciously or unconsciously, a religious pattern or concept (Descartes, Pascal, Spinoza, even Marx, Nietzsche, etc.)...

moreover, there's a very close relationship between the religion of an cultural period and it's philosophy... Plato's view on the world resembles the imaginative patterns of the ancient Greek religion, the philosophers in the Middle Ages (Augustine of Hippo, Peter Damian, Thomas Aquinas) couldn't conceive an universe not having God in the center, Voltaire's skepticism is influenced by Lutheranism, Kant's infinite universe is related to the religious theories of the time according to which God is infinite (no longer the center of the universe, yet... He is everywhere) while Nietzsche and later on  Einstein's relativism appear in a cultural background in which religion is no longer important as opposed to man's infinite capacity to progress...

Answer 3

Philosophy and religion although intertwined have some differences. The most notable to me being what the purpose of each is.

Philosophy is primarily concerned with questions, the classic being the meaning of life. It rarely attempts to provide direct answers to these questions, it more frequently poses theories regarding the answer, thus allowing you to answer the question for yourself.

Religion on the other hand is primarily concerned with answers. Sticking with the original question of the meaning of life, most major religions are an attempt at an answer. They may not always be direct, or clear, but most people of faith will tell you that you can find the answer your looking for (using the religion I know most about, Christianity as an example) by reading the bible, or that God will provide you with an answer.

What is the meaning of life you ask.

Philosophy may well respond, "How do you define meaning?"

Religion on the other hand (though this is a difficult question to answer) will attempt to provide you with a more concrete answer.

Similarly if you were to question a decision that you just made that has seemed to yield a negative result. Philosophy would offer you different theories as to why you made the choice you did, for example Causal Determinism versus Free Will, and see if they can provide guidance. While religion (Christianity in the case of this example) would tell you that this is all a part of God's plan for you and not to worrry.

Granted neither of the summations of the two are complete and free of problems and contradictions, but I believe that it at least touches on the two worlds of thought that are philosophy and religion.

Answer 4

I think they are both intertwined, if only because they deal with the realms of the unknown. We can only guess about religion, which is much the same when dealing with philosophical questions. Who knows the answer? Nobody living. It all boils down to what you believe, and belief, by it's very nature, cannot be proven.

Answer 5

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everything you need to know

Answer 6

religion is contradictory on its own

Answer 7

Philosophy is the search for knowledge, or the study of wisdom, or the search for reasonable thought.

To discuss religion, or anything else, except perhaps changing a hard drive on a computer or cooking spaghetti, you need to employ some philosophical aspects, if you are going to make any sense at all.

Religion and philosophy are not opposites, like city and country, black or white, or cold and hot.

As a matter of fact, religion has/had its great philosophers. Look up Thomas Aquinas, Kant, Hume, Descartes - they all had something to say about religion, and were all affiliated in some way (fast or loose) to religion.

Like I said, to present any sort of reasonable debate or argument, you need to use philosophy. There is the philosophy of science, the philosophy of religion, the philosophy of politics, the philosophy of diplomacy, the philosophy of travel, the philosophy of medicine... the philosophy of history, the philosophy of nature, and so on.

Look it all up, and have fun.

Answer 8

...I think philosophy wraps around religion like a vine even though it's separate and self supporting...most people that are of a trained or even an amateur philosophical nature are also drawn to some form of belief system...one "adorns" the other as long as one does not "overtake" the other...this is a balancing act, at best, much of the time

Answer 9

Religion is all about 'faith', which is essentially believing something without valid evidence.  I'd certainly say that contradicts philosophy.

You can say that both philosophy and religion are concerned with finding answers to many of the same questions, that's true.  But philosophy assumes an answer is false until it can be shown to be true, whereas religion begins from the premise that the answer is true and throws around a few philosophical terms to make it seem like there was an argument involved.

Answer 10

close, probably is.

Answer 11

Religion is a philosophy.  Philosophy is more than just a way of life, its a way of thinking that applies to life.

Answer 12

Philosophy is a way of thinking, religion is faith.

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Answer 13

Absolutly NOT.

My dad had his PHD in Theology, history And a graduate degree in HIstory and Philosophy.

My son's major is history/philosoply And he thought about being a pastor and my dad was one.

Spirituality, science, philosophy, sociology, theology etc they are all dependent on the others and prove each other.

Answer 14

yes

Answer 15

So close that it's considered by some contradictory.

Answer 16

Philosophy tries to rationalise things in religion but

religion deals with the unknowable so everthing does

not fit into the field of reason.But philosophy is not

contradictory to religion.Their approach to Truth is

different.

Answer 17

Philosophy is questions that may never be answered. Religion is answers that may never be questioned

Answer 18

Contradictory ! because Philosophy deals with questions that man may never know while Religion thrive on made up answers.

Answer 19

OOOH, good one.  They unfortunately are inexcusably intertwined.  Most philosophies are in fact simple concepts or ideas that an individual has, that have been developed in them over the course of there life.  So when someone is religious and has grown up in an environment that is supportive of these ideals, it becomes a philosophy to them.  Now does that mean that philosophers would think that, probably not, they would argue that those are " beliefs " and are not thought out or backed by logic. However in my opinion, anyones concepts of how life is to be lived or how one should behave ( based upon religious reasons, personal opinions or well thought out logic ) is in fact a philosophy.  So as another answerer said, Religion is a type of philosophy, and they are too close in some books and contradictory in others.

Answer 20

Philosophy exists all the time in the absence of religion.  The core basis of Macro-Evolution explains away a creator, is a way of looking at the world and interpreting it.  Judo-Christian religions try to interpret the world and explain the big question of "Why are we here and how did things come to be this way?" through a different means.  Evolutionary theories attempt to answer this same question with the exclusion of divine or anything other than constant variables.  Both choices lead to a philosophy of life and how things came to be this way.

I do not agree with the idea that philosophy deals with questions that cannot be answered.  Socrates came up with plenty of answers, as did Descartes.  The great thing about Philosophy answers is they can change over time, and they can change between two people.  Your political outlook is a philosophy.  I am ultra right wing conservative fiscally, ultra right wing conservative on defense, but just barely right wing on social issues, these ideas have been formed by how I look at the world and understand how we all came to be this way.  Others are going to come to completely different answers, and they are 100% correct.

Religion does change over time, but the answers generally try to stay the same.  Right now in the midst of Evolutionary thinking, many main stream Christian Churches are beginning to say "God used Evolution to bring about mankind."  While the bulk may disagree the shift has started.  Will that shift continue, will those who went over return to the "old" way of thinking, or will it lead to a division between the old and the new?  Just read the Torah, and then read the first letters Paul wrote, and you will see a dynamic and earth shattering change in religion.  Take a look how Christian Church was practiced in the 1st 2nd and 3rd century A.D. and you will see a vastly different Church than today.  Even take a look at more traditional Baptist churches vs a more modern Methodist Church vs an Indepent Church that is reaching out to youth.  You will see completely different ways of worship, completely different interpetations of scripture, and a completely different outlook on how things came to be the way they are.

Answer 21

Both are like twins. A philosopher always have a lay back attitude and contributes nothing more than complexity to humanity where as Religious person stands back and makes life h**l for every human being. They both are mothered by trapped and selective thoughts with lunatic determination to prove themselves right and forcing others to follow them by trying their best to make others feel guilty about each and every thing in life.

Regards

Vinay

Answer 22

Philosophy changes over the years. What was held to be a good philosophical theory 50 years ago could be bunkum tomorrow because of some new insight into human nature. It is therefore a progressive thing, and there's nothing wrong with that.

Religion is built upon certain beliefs that cannot be changed, no matter what philosophical ideas prevail. Belief in God is paramount, for example. So a philosophical theory saying belief in God was irrational would be too contradictory to religion. And I guess a theological theory of God being the Greatest Philosopher would be too close for comfort for most philosophers! But the very desire humans have to understand the innermost workings of their minds, feelings and actions is a good indication that we are 'wired' to philosophise about such things. And the really interesting thing is that whatever 'appetite' we humans have (for food, s*x, companionship, intellectual stimulation, art...) can all be met. Those needs are provided for - not by us - we merely use the raw materials we find to hand. I reckon God wants us to understand not only that he is the provider, but why he delights to provide us with such a super-abundance of delightful things, and how we will get the highest pleasure using his provisions unselfishly, for his glory.