What is the relationship of philosophy to religion?

[an anarchist]

If one intends to understand religion, how important is it for them to understand philosophy?

If one intends to understand philosophy, how important is it for them to understand religion?

I know a lot about religion and next to nothing about philosophy.

Plato and Aristotle, the OG philosophers, didn't they use philosophy to argue for the existence of god? Was that their purpose with their philosophy?

Historically, how intertwined are religion and philosophy?

 

[mikkel_the_dane]

If one intends to understand religion, how important is it for them to understand philosophy?

If one intends to understand philosophy, how important is it for them to understand religion?

I know a lot about religion and next to nothing about philosophy.

Plato and Aristotle, the OG philosophers, didn't they use philosophy to argue for the existence of god? Was that their purpose with their philosophy?

Historically, how intertwined are religion and philosophy?

All over the place from one end to the other. The rest is a lot of books to read.

 

[mikkel_the_dane]

If one intends to understand religion, how important is it for them to understand philosophy?

If one intends to understand philosophy, how important is it for them to understand religion?

I know a lot about religion and next to nothing about philosophy.

Plato and Aristotle, the OG philosophers, didn't they use philosophy to argue for the existence of god? Was that their purpose with their philosophy?

Historically, how intertwined are religion and philosophy?

Plato and Aristotle is the wrong place to start in my opinion. Start with the old skeptics.

 

[an anarchist]

Plato and Aristotle is the wrong place to start in my opinion. Start with the old skeptics.

Any names in particular?

 

[mikkel_the_dane]

Any names in particular?

Well, some of them are not that well preserved, sometimes only a few fragments, but here is one of the oldest:
"Man is the measure of all things: of the things that are, that they are, of the things that are not, that they are not." Protagoras.

The fun thing about that one is that if you unpack that one, you can use it on all subjects matters in philosophy.

So you have a go at it. Google it if you have to, but before try to figure out what the measure of all things mean.

 

[Koldo]

If one intends to understand religion, how important is it for them to understand philosophy?

Not much.

If one intends to understand philosophy, how important is it for them to understand religion?

Not much.

I know a lot about religion and next to nothing about philosophy.

Plato and Aristotle, the OG philosophers, didn't they use philosophy to argue for the existence of god? Was that their purpose with their philosophy?

To put it simple: No.

Historically, how intertwined are religion and philosophy?

There are some influential authors that mixed both. You can check Aquinas' work, for example.

 

[Augustus]

Historically, how intertwined are religion and philosophy?

Pretty much inseparable until the modern period.

The idea that there was a "religion" that could be neatly separated from things like "philosophy" is not something that would have made sense to most people.

You might be interested in these, especially the earlier ones about the ancients (I know it says science, but that was philosophy too back then).

Home

www.giffordlectures.org

for example:

2. The Cosmos and the Religious Quest

In antiquity and for much of the Middle Ages the formal study of nature—natural philosophy—was, as the name implies, part of the discipline of philosophy.

Philosophy itself, from its inception in ancient Greece, had been understood as a form of spiritual exercises. As a consequence, a primary goal of what we call science was, in this earlier period, moral and spiritual formation. These conceptions were to influence the identity of Western Christianity, which came to understand itself as ‘the true philosophy’. The study of nature in the Middle Ages was thus an important element of the religious life.

 

[Nakosis]

If one intends to understand religion, how important is it for them to understand philosophy?

If one intends to understand philosophy, how important is it for them to understand religion?

I know a lot about religion and next to nothing about philosophy.

Plato and Aristotle, the OG philosophers, didn't they use philosophy to argue for the existence of god? Was that their purpose with their philosophy?

Historically, how intertwined are religion and philosophy?

Religion is anecdotal philosophy from authority.
Philosophy is less authoritarian but no less anecdotal.

 

[Hamilton]

I love gaining new knowledge. So that makes me a fan of religion and science both, plus more Sadly, philosophy is not a major requirement for people who attempt to indulge in scholarship (or crude argument) in those two areas. As a result much of their arguments, while sounding sound, are impertinent and irrelevant. I see philosophy as a tool for clarifying one's understanding, and for critiquing one's explanations, while avoiding common fallacies - straw man, appeal to authority, bandwagon, etc. - which litter the battlefields here and elsewhere.

I used to see philosophy as an enemy of religion, and as irrelevant to science. I know see philosophy as an indispensible tool for both, without which one might say the pair descend into cultism and pseudoscience, each of which exist in popularly sanctioned versions today.

 

[mikkel_the_dane]

Religion is anecdotal philosophy from authority.
Philosophy is less authoritarian but no less anecdotal.

The bold part is too simple. There are parts of philosophy you can't avoid even in science.

 

[Hamilton]

Religion is anecdotal philosophy from authority.
Philosophy is less authoritarian but no less anecdotal.

Please explain what you mean about philosophy being anecdotal?

 

[Orbit]

Philosophy tends to ask questions like "How do we know there is a reality?"; "What is reality?" and other things like that. Philosophy poses questions; religion on the other hand provides answers for certain questions like "Why are we here?" and "What is the meaning of life?"

 

[mikkel_the_dane]

Philosophy tends to ask questions like "How do we know there is a reality?"; "What is reality?" and other things like that. Philosophy poses questions; religion on the other hand provides answers for certain questions like "Why are we here?" and "What is the meaning of life?"

Well, philosophy can give answers, the problem is that they are subject to limited cognitive, moral and cultural relativism, but so are all answers, as far as I can tell.

 

[osgart]

Philosophy is the realm of most things humans think about and grapple with. Religion proclaims to know actuality as it is. I think they tend to avoid each other even when they overlap.

Philosophy encourages thought and questioning. Religion seems to think they have it all accounted for with authority.

Religion either needs to change, or extinct itself.

 

[Koldo]

Pretty much inseparable until the modern period.

The idea that there was a "religion" that could be neatly separated from things like "philosophy" is not something that would have made sense to most people.

You might be interested in these, especially the earlier ones about the ancients (I know it says science, but that was philosophy too back then).

Home

www.giffordlectures.org

for example:

2. The Cosmos and the Religious Quest

In antiquity and for much of the Middle Ages the formal study of nature—natural philosophy—was, as the name implies, part of the discipline of philosophy.

Philosophy itself, from its inception in ancient Greece, had been understood as a form of spiritual exercises. As a consequence, a primary goal of what we call science was, in this earlier period, moral and spiritual formation. These conceptions were to influence the identity of Western Christianity, which came to understand itself as ‘the true philosophy’. The study of nature in the Middle Ages was thus an important element of the religious life.

Since religion had historically been an indistinguishable part of any given culture, it is at the foundation of many philosophical works. Art is also an excellent example.

But I interpreted his question more on terms of: "How much should I expect to learn about religion through historically relevant philosophy books? If I study philosophy, am I also studying religion?". And the answer is: You will hardly learn anything about religion in philosophy books unless you read the works of someone like Aquinas.

 

[Hamilton]

Philosophy is the realm of most things humans think about and grapple with. Religion proclaims to know actuality as it is. I think they tend to avoid each other even when they overlap.

Philosophy encourages thought and questioning. Religion seems to think they have it all accounted for with authority.

Religion either needs to change, or extinct itself.

Not at all. Philosophy of religion is a major field in philosophy. And they both deal with identifying and presenting reality, and they both change their conclusions as new evidence and better explanations appear. Philosophy departments routinely teach about religions. I suspect religios universities must teach a least some philosophical methodology. The writings of Plato, Aquinas, Hobbes, Kant, Hegel, Marx, are referred to as authorities by many, who repeat and build upon their views.

I doubt religion as such will ever disappear, although philosophy and religion will continue to build stronger ties. Religious believers, like "science" name droppers and true scientists, adjust their views and explanations to keep in harmony with new revelations, whether physical, metaphysical, historical, intuitive.

 

[osgart]

Not at all. Philosophy of religion is a major field in philosophy. And they both deal with identifying and presenting reality, and they both change their conclusions as new evidence and better explanations appear. Philosophy departments routinely teach about religions. I suspect religios universities must teach a least some philosophical methodology. The writings of Plato, Aquinas, Hobbes, Kant, Hegel, Marx, are referred to as authorities by many, who repeat and build upon their views.

I doubt religion as such will ever disappear, although philosophy and religion will continue to build stronger ties. Religious believers, like "science" name droppers and true scientists, adjust their views and explanations to keep in harmony with new revelations, whether physical, metaphysical, historical, intuitive.

That's probably true academically. However the religions I know of try to avoid philosophy and endless debating. The Bible says to avoid philosophy.

Colossians 2:8 KJV

Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.
Read the Bible. A free Bible on your phone, tablet, and computer. › bible › CO...
Colossians 2:8 - King James Version - Bible App

Religion requires faithfulness and belief. Philosophy requires none of that.

 

[Hamilton]

I wrote my previous post from a Christian perspective. In Islamic countries logic and philosophy are taught before college. In the U.S. they are not a general requirement even in college. The two Buddhist schools I looked into also require philosophy.

I imagine whether logic and philosophy are taught is a reflection of a given culture's philosophy of education rather than due to a specific religion.

 

[Callisto]

Any names in particular?

You might find this site helpful: History of Philosophy (Kings College).

I've linked to Greek philosophers but it covers others as well.

 

[Nakosis]

Please explain what you mean about philosophy being anecdotal?

Folks who delve deeply into it develop their own particular brand.
They create an ideology and either you buy into it or not.
Whatever school of thought feels best to you, or take a little of this and a little of that and make your own.

None gets validated over the other. Nothing to keep you from taking it personally.
To keep it simple, it is religion's "how things are" without the divine authority.