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I know the most obvious answer is that a Religion is a philosophy. so I guess my question is actually more along the lines of when is a philosophy not a religion.
To be honest the only philosophy courses I ever took in my college years were Ethics, Aesthetics and Logic. So I am a bit limited in my knowledge. On my own I have read works of Socrates, Justin Martyr, Machiavelli, Nietzsche and Lin Yu Tang. I'm actually a bit of a fan of Lin Yu Tang and perhaps my life has been a bit shaped by his "Pleasures of a Nonconformist"
But getting back, how does one separate philosophy from religion? Is there a difference?
Not totally sure. Going by its roots philosophy is "love of wisdom." It's concerned with discussion, knowledge, and debate on principles. Religion involves reverence, although there's debate about what the words root means. Still religion generally involves a connection or reverence for something greater than humanity or mundane experience. That can be God, gods, spirits, an impersonal supernatural force, or in modern times advanced extraterrestrials. It also generally concerns ideas on what that force or being considers for us.
There are some blurry areas where philosophies encourage an emotional connection to higher-things, but that could perhaps be seen as a religious philosophy. I guess I'm largely saying philosophy is more ideas than emotions, even if it's sometimes ideas about emotion.
Or at least this is my guess at the difference for now.
Not totally sure. Going by its roots philosophy is "love of wisdom." It's concerned with discussion, knowledge, and debate on principles. Religion involves reverence, although there's debate about what the words root means. Still religion generally involves a connection or reverence for something greater than humanity or mundane experience. That can be God, gods, spirits, an impersonal supernatural force, or in modern times advanced extraterrestrials. It also generally concerns ideas on what that force or being considers for us.
There are some blurry areas where philosophies encourage an emotional connection to higher-things, but that could perhaps be seen as a religious philosophy. I guess I'm largely saying philosophy is more ideas than emotions, even if it's sometimes ideas about emotion.
Or at least this is my guess at the difference for now.
Your input is appreciated Thomas.
In my agnostic period I held to Buddhism as a way of life. I considered it to be a philosophy and not a religion. but, looking back I can see it was a form of a religious belief in the sense that is was a placing of fulfillment on an intangible source.
I have thought philosophy to be a set operations one choses to view life in general, life from a personal aspect, and the nature of relationships between one and others and/or the natural environment.
In my opinion, neither Buddha nor Jesus sought out to create a new religion. Rather, they were trying to share a philosophical thought. It took others to transform their philosophies into religions.
philosophy\ it is Science looking for the truth of things
religion\ is the Divine way that guides to the right in beliefs
While I can see what you're getting at it isn't quite right.
(Wiki - but the dictionaries support this)
Philosophy is the rational study (ideally!) of general subjects concerning which certainty cannot easily be established scientifically or by simple observation (Wiki)
(Arq. I'd observe as I have before that it it is useful for putting up hypotheses which science may then find ways of testing and proving or disproving. Philosophy should be rational but it isn't science.
Science (from Latin: scientia meaning "knowledge") is a systematic enterprise that builds and organizes knowledge in the form of testable explanations and predictions about the universe. An older and closely related meaning still in use today is that of Aristotle, for whom scientific knowledge was a body of reliable knowledge that can be logically and rationally explained
(Arq the same thing except they hadn't devised the practical tests)
Religion is a collection of cultural systems, belief systems, and worldviews that establishes symbols that relate humanity to spirituality and moral values.
(Arq In a way I understand the idea that it is a 'divine way'. But it isn't done by rational reasoning like Philosophy or by experiments like science so religion isn't either. That's not to say that the tools of Philosophy or science can't be used to try to test the divine way where, for example, people have different takes on the where the divine is leading and whether the beliefs are right.
For example we see here that Islam is sometimes argued by pointing out that the new testament claims are contradictory or that the Quran contains advanced knowledge that humans couldn't have had. This is the work of philosophic reasoning and indeed scientific experiment of the Historical criticism kind.
So there are many overlaps, but they shouldn't be confused.
Philosophy and religion are two separate entities, although at times can appear to over lap. Philosophy asks such questions as "what is the nature of....?" For example,in philosophy, it largely asks "what is the nature of..." meaning, of the connection between mind and body, ethics, morals, meaning, and at times what is the nature of god. Various philosophies will negate the existence of any god (ie many of your existential philosophers.) For example, Neitzche approached the nature of God from an atheistic point of view, and was known for his expression/saying that "God is dead." There are some existential philosophers who address what is the meaning of life, or whether or not life has meaning. Philosophy, unlike science, deals with different variables that cannot be readily proven. June feels there is no emotion attached to philosophy; rather, there are a collective amount of questions asking or addressing the nature of man. Philosophies can illicit emotions in man, but are different than one's own emotions. Philosophies run a very broad spectrum in their attempt to define "the nature of..." or the inter-relation of some variable; for example, what is the natures of mind and body, morals, ethics and the existence or non existence of God.
Religion, on the other hand, while also structured, deals exclusively with some kind of deity. Religions would appear to be culturally determined; for example Hinduism, Buddhism, Taoism, Judaism, and Christianity. All entail some type of god and the worship thereof. Philosophy does not entail any type or form of worship. Philosophy addresses a much broader spectrum of things in life, and is not as formal: it is not ritualistic; rather, it might ask what is the nature of ritual in man and why does it exist. Kierkegaard was a Christian existentialist, for example. Religion is not as broad as philosophy; it is not asking "what is the nature of God" (per say) but rather, has already established what the nature of one's deity is and entails, and what it means. While religion and philosophy would appear to over lap, they are two different entities. For example, whle a philosophy may ask "what is the meaning of life?" (Victor Frankel) religion has by and large answered that question in whatever form it may take.
Such is June's (very poor) philosophy as regards philosophy.
'Viewed from a safe distance the most apparent difference between religion and philosophy is, that
Religion is based on ritual, dogma and authority, while Philosophy rests upon critical thinking. "Most
religions rely on authorities, as in the Pope, the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Rabbinical Councils
and Courts, or the Imam. Philosophies do not.'
Philosophy and religion are two separate entities, although at times can appear to over lap. Philosophy asks such questions as "what is the nature of....?" For example,in philosophy, it largely asks "what is the nature of..." meaning, of the connection between mind and body, ethics, morals, meaning, and at times what is the nature of god. Various philosophies will negate the existence of any god (ie many of your existential philosophers.) For example, Neitzche approached the nature of God from an atheistic point of view, and was known for his expression/saying that "God is dead." There are some existential philosophers who address what is the meaning of life, or whether or not life has meaning. Philosophy, unlike science, deals with different variables that cannot be readily proven. June feels there is no emotion attached to philosophy; rather, there are a collective amount of questions asking or addressing the nature of man. Philosophies can illicit emotions in man, but are different than one's own emotions. Philosophies run a very broad spectrum in their attempt to define "the nature of..." or the inter-relation of some variable; for example, what is the natures of mind and body, morals, ethics and the existence or non existence of God.
Religion, on the other hand, while also structured, deals exclusively with some kind of deity. Religions would appear to be culturally determined; for example Hinduism, Buddhism, Taoism, Judaism, and Christianity. All entail some type of god and the worship thereof. Philosophy does not entail any type or form of worship. Philosophy addresses a much broader spectrum of things in life, and is not as formal: it is not ritualistic; rather, it might ask what is the nature of ritual in man and why does it exist. Kierkegaard was a Christian existentialist, for example. Religion is not as broad as philosophy; it is not asking "what is the nature of God" (per say) but rather, has already established what the nature of one's deity is and entails, and what it means. While religion and philosophy would appear to over lap, they are two different entities. For example, whle a philosophy may ask "what is the meaning of life?" (Victor Frankel) religion has by and large answered that question in whatever form it may take.
Such is June's (very poor) philosophy as regards philosophy.
That is actually pointing up a very handy distinction. Philosophy may more or less rationally speculate about gods but religions assume the gods as a given and speculate more about what they might want from us.
That also applies to Buddhism which has a non anthropomorphic natural force (Karma) in place of a deity. It was assumed to exist and the Buddhists just speculated about what it wanted from us.
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Off the top of her head:
