What is the difference between religion and religious philosophy. How do religion and philosophy differ?

05.08.2019 Psychology

... Religion within the limits of reason alone"). The third of these questions precisely outlines the problem of faith as it stood within Kant's own philosophy. Kant would have acted consistently if he had completely excluded the category of “faith” from his teaching and put in its place the concept of “hope.” Last is different... and self-abasement, which from ancient times constituted the natural soil of any “liturgical religion". The essence of Kant's philosophy religion can be expressed in the following brief formula: morality pleases God...

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The statements (sutras) themselves admit different interpretations. A much clearer and more definite statement of the principles of Vedanta is different Mandukya-Karika of Gaudapada, which is actually the basic text (manifesto) of Vedanta. Badarayana himself, by the way, ... God" together with and along with the term "Brahman" in a broader sense (to denote both God in religion, and the Absolute in philosophy); the context in each case will tell you its exact meaning. The use of two names, or names, may cause...

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One of the greatest Soviet scientists spoke beautifully to the Society: philosopher, anthropologist, ethnographer, historian and political scientist Yuri Ivanovich Semenov... mentality, the content of which is one community of people was different from the community of another. If in the animal world individuals and communities distinguished yourself from a stranger according to the principle: “We” - ... 1949, p. 107. Since worldview constitutes the spiritual core religion, then myself religion can be defined as a type of worldview based on belief in...

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The history of mankind has been naive realism. Then - mythology and, finally - religion. IN difference from morality, art and other forms of social consciousness religion has no roots in the animal kingdom, nor in pre-social life... University of Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence, 2009. Section 1 4 For more details, see: Semenov Yu. I. Personality, society, culture. AND. " Philosophy and society", 2001, No. 3. 5 "Taboo" - (a word from one of the ethnographic tribes of Polynesia) - a prohibition, the violation of which entails...

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The internal, often hidden, common ground is clear to most sensible people. IN difference from a simple sane person, philosopher trying to figure out where opposites come from? This is what the greats did after Heraclitus and the Pythagoreans... deepening people’s knowledge natural phenomena, constituted one of the most important achievements of ancient materialism in its struggle against religion and idealism. A common feature a number of directions of naive materialism of the ancients was that they included spontaneous...

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The spells he had so fearlessly fought and so heroically condemned. Enormous progress of Buddhism philosophy lay in her understanding of the relativity of all truth. This hypothesis allowed Buddhists to reconcile and connect together... . The great strength of Buddhism is that its adherents are free to select truth from all religions. Evolutionary religion rarely were different such freedom of choice. In this regard, the Japanese Shin sect has become one of the most progressive religious...

The basis for comparing philosophy, mythology and religion is that they are special forms of social consciousness, reflecting spiritual, cultural and ideological aspects in understanding human essence, the nature of things and the laws of existence. These aspects are manifested in various ways in religious and philosophical teachings, the roots of which go back to Indo-European and Eastern mythology.

Definition

Mythology- a special figurative-epic form of comprehension of the world that arises in the early period of the development of social relations among most nationalities and ethnic groups. In ancient myths, the picture of the universe combines reality and fiction, knowledge and beliefs, natural and supernatural, thought and emotional perception of reality.

Religion- an ordered system of views and beliefs based on faith in a higher mind and the divine spirituality, to which it is subordinated human life and everything that happens on earth. Religious ideas are formed at a certain stage in the formation of social structures and are always correlated with their hierarchical structure.

Philosophy– the highest form of social consciousness, manifested in intellectual and spiritual activity aimed at posing and analyzing ideological issues. Philosophical teachings, schools and directions are formed on the basis of practical experience and a deep understanding of the patterns of development of the material and intangible world.

Comparison

Mythology reflects direct collective thinking based on empirical experience, aimed at determining the place of man in the natural world. In myths, he is given the modest role of executor of the will of the gods, personifying the mighty forces of heaven, earth and the water element.

The poetics of myths is based on allegorical images and metaphors that have multiple meanings. Their epic form presents the world in a generalized form, as a given that does not require explanation.

The naivety of mystical ideas and the impossibility of identifying the object of knowledge in them does not at all detract from the importance of mythology as a powerful layer of spiritual culture. It was on its basis that philosophical thinking developed, the focus of which was man, his feelings, language, morality, creativity, patterns historical processes and natural phenomena.

Proceedings ancient Greek philosophers Pythagoras, Plato and Aristotle became the beginning of the development of philosophy as a science. Its main directions are defined as ontology - the study of being, epistemology - the study of knowledge, logic - the study of forms of thinking and aesthetics - the study of the harmonious structure of the world.

Religion differs from philosophy in that it explains existence not from the point of view of its cognition and self-development, but as a manifestation of the will of a higher deity, incomprehensible to human consciousness. If philosophy is characterized by logical analysis, generalizations, reasoned evidence and conclusions, religion is based on unconditional faith. Religious consciousness manifests itself at the ideological level - in theology, ethics, theosophical doctrines of the church, and at the psychological level - as a stereotype of the behavior and emotional states of believers. A socially significant form of religion is a cult, in which a system of ethical ideals and ritual actions is developed and approved.

Conclusions website

  1. Mythology recreates a figurative picture of the world. In religion, ideas about the universe are formed on the basis of faith. The content of philosophy is scientifically based worldview concepts.
  2. The focus of mythology and religion is the gods. The attention of philosophy is focused on man.
  3. In mythology and religion, the human capacity for knowledge is ignored. The essence of philosophy is the knowledge and explanation of life in all its manifestations.
  4. Mythology – collective folk art. Religion is a belief system and form of government human consciousness. Philosophy is a humanitarian science.

Similarities and differences between philosophy and religion

Similarities and differences between philosophy and religion

Philosophy and religion took shape as the main forms of spiritual activity several thousand years ago. At one time they were even inextricably linked, so it is quite difficult to draw a line between the philosophical and religious views of the ancients. And yet between philosophy and religion there are not only similarities, but also differences.

Noting the similarities between philosophy and religion, it should be said that in religion, as in philosophy, we are talking about the most general ideas about the world, from which people should proceed in their lives; fundamental religious ideas - about God, about the Divine creation of the world, about the immortality of the soul, about God's commandments, which a person must perform, etc. - are similar in nature to the philosophical ones of A.S. Carmin. Culturology / A.S. Carmine. - St. Petersburg: Lan, 2004. P.486. Like philosophy, religion also explores the root causes of the conceivable (God), is a form of social consciousness Alekseev P.V. Social philosophy: Tutorial/ P.V. Alekseev. - M.: LLC "TK Velby", 2003 - 256 p..

Philosophy and religion seek to answer questions about man’s place in the world, about the relationship between man and the world, the source of good and evil. Like religion, philosophy is characterized by transcendence, that is, going beyond the boundaries of experience, beyond the limits of the possible, irrationalism, and there is an element of faith in it. However, religion requires unquestioning faith, in it faith is higher than reason, while philosophy proves its truths, appeals to reason, to reasonable arguments. Philosophy always welcomes any scientific discoveries as conditions for expanding our knowledge about the world.

Like philosophy, a religious worldview offers a person a system of values ​​- norms, ideals and goals of activity, in accordance with which he can plan his behavior in the world, perform acts of assessment and self-esteem. Like philosophy, religion offers its own universal picture of the world, which is based on the act of divine creativity. The value-based and universal nature of the religious worldview brings it closer to philosophy, however, there are fundamental differences between these two most important spheres of spiritual culture.

Philosophy is based on concepts and ideas, and religion is based mainly on ideas (i.e. concrete sensory images). Therefore, philosophy can understand religion, but religion cannot understand philosophy. In religion, the emphasis is on faith, worship, revelation, and in philosophy - on intellectual comprehension. Thus, philosophy provides an additional opportunity to comprehend the meaning and understanding of the wisdom inherent in religion. In religion, faith is in the foreground, in philosophy - thought and knowledge. Religion is dogmatic, and philosophy is anti-dogmatic. In religion there is a cult, unlike philosophy.

In religion there is a cult, it is associated with a special community of people associated with the cult and is inseparable from myth. Religion is always characterized by a real connection between man and transcendence in the form of a saint encountered in the world, separated from the profane or the one who is deprived of holiness. Where this no longer exists or where it has been abandoned, the peculiarity of religion disappears.

On the contrary, philosophy, as such, knows neither a cult, nor a community headed by a priest, nor a holiness in the world removed from worldly existence. For her, what religion localizes anywhere can be present everywhere. It developed for an individual person in free, non-sociologically real connections, without the guarantee provided by the community. Philosophy knows neither rituals nor originally real myths. It is assimilated in free tradition, always transforming. Although it belongs to man as an individual, it remains the business of individuals.

Religion primarily strives for embodiment, philosophy - only for effective certainty. To religion, the philosophical god appears poor, pale, empty; it disparagingly calls the position of philosophers “deism”; Philosophy sees religious incarnations as a deceptive disguise and a false rapprochement with the deity. Religion calls the philosophical god an empty abstraction; philosophy does not trust religious images of God, considering them seduction, worship of even majestic idols.

In contrast to religion, philosophy, as a form of value-based normative consciousness, has chosen as its guideline, first and foremost, a cognitive attitude based on the maximum possible use in the search for the ultimate, final foundations of existence of all those spiritual and mental powers and abilities that are organically inherent in human nature itself. This is an attitude that focuses on a conscious search for such ideas, their critical understanding, and the acceptance of any of them on the basis of careful analysis and argumentation. The specificity of philosophy as a special type of spiritual activity can only be understood taking into account the pluralism (multiplicity) of philosophical attitudes, preferences and orientations, simultaneously from their dialogue and from their polemics. This is not a tribute to any moral considerations, the desire for benevolence, tolerance, etc. Here we are dealing with the very essence of philosophical thinking, philosophical consciousness, with those objective features and prerequisites, without which philosophy cannot creatively develop and enrich itself, with the destruction of which philosophical consciousness is necessarily deformed and even completely destroyed.

Religion comes closer to philosophy when solving the problem of proving the existence of God and rationally justifying religious dogmas. A special philosophical direction is being formed - religious philosophy (theology, theoretical theology). There are various religious and philosophical doctrines in which the religious content is supported by the philosophical argumentation of Karmin A.S. Culturology / A.S. Carmine. - St. Petersburg: Lan, 2004. P.487.

There have always been various variants of religious philosophy, in which the problem of the relationship between philosophy and religion either does not appear at all as one of the cardinal problems, or turns out to be its other side, namely the danger of the dissolution of philosophy in religion. The role of theistic philosophy in the life of society: 1) positive: a) reveals universal human moral norms; b) affirms the ideals of peace; c) introduces people to a special kind of knowledge; d) preserves traditions; 2) negative: a) forms a one-sided picture of the world; b) condemns (persecuts) people for rejecting theistic views; c) supports outdated customs, norms, and values ​​Romanov I.N. Philosophy. Research - texts - diagrams - tables - exercises - tests. Textbook / I.N. Romanov, A.I. Kostyaev. - M.: Pedagogical Society of Russia, 2003. P.233.

Thus, the relationship between philosophy and religion is not only a relationship of mutual repulsion and struggle, but also a rather wide range of similarities and commonalities. Historical experience has revealed the inconsistency of both attempts to absorb philosophy into theology and plans to absorb religion into philosophy or science. Today, the idea is increasingly being established that philosophy and religion are autonomous, irreducible forms of human spiritual activity, which should freely develop, complementing and mutually enriching each other.

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Religion is a worldview, moral standards and a cult based on belief in some kind of supernatural. Based on faith and does not require proof.

Myth is a legend that conveys people’s ideas about the world, man’s place in it, the origin of all things, about gods and heroes. Story-based performance.

Science – facts, evidence, exploration of an area of ​​reality in order to identify patterns. Unlike philosophy, science has no value.

The main question of philosophy according to F. Engels. Major philosophical trends (idealism, materialism, skepticism, agnosticism).

The Basic Question of Philosophy-the question of the relationship of consciousness to being, spiritual to material, i.e. about the relationship of thinking to being. According to Engels, philosophers were divided into two large camps according to how they answered this question. Those who argued that spirit existed before nature formed the idealistic camp. Those who considered nature to be the main principle joined various schools of materialism.

The question of the relationship of thinking to being (spirit to nature, consciousness to matter, ideal to material, etc.) was expressed in different forms and formulated differently at different times. In its classic formulation, “What is primary: spirit or nature?” it plays a prominent role in both ancient and medieval philosophy, and in modern times it has taken on a more acute form: was the world created by God or has it existed from eternity?

So, the philosophical position, according to which the world around us is explained based on the material principle, nature, objective reality, constituted the materialist direction.

Those philosophers who took the ideal principle (spirit, consciousness, will, sensations, etc.) as the basis for their understanding of the world formed the idealistic direction. This direction breaks down into two varieties - the objective (superhuman) ideal principle (for example, the world of absolute ideas of Plato, the world mind of Hegel) and subjective idealism for which (the starting point is the “I” of an individual subject (thus, according to D. Berkeley, things are a combination of sensations ).

Great philosophical movements

Materialism(the so-called “line of Democritus”) - a direction in philosophy, whose supporters believed that in the relationship between matter and consciousness, matter is primary. Hence:

Matter really exists;

Matter exists independently of consciousness (that is, it exists independently of thinking beings and whether anyone thinks about it or not);

Matter is an independent substance - it does not need anything other than itself for its existence;

Matter exists and develops in its own way internal laws;

Consciousness (spirit) is the property (mode) of highly organized matter to reflect itself (matter);

Consciousness is not an independent substance existing along with matter;

Consciousness is determined by matter (being).

Idealism- a direction in philosophy, whose supporters considered consciousness (idea, spirit) to be primary in the relationship between matter and consciousness.

In idealism there are two independent directions:

Objective idealism

Subjective idealism

Skepticism- philosopher a direction that questions the possibility of knowing reality or some fragment of it. Skepticism may concern the limits of knowledge and argue that no knowledge at all or any absolute, undoubted, complete or perfect knowledge is inaccessible to man; that no knowledge, even if it is achieved, can be recognized as such; that no certain knowledge concerning certain objects (eg God, oneself, values, the world as a whole, causality, etc.) is achievable; that certain types of knowledge cannot be obtained by certain methods (for example, through reasoning, inference, direct observation, etc.). Skepticism may concern the method of obtaining knowledge and argue that every hypothesis must be subject to never-ending tests; that all methods of obtaining knowledge do not give undoubted results; that knowledge in all or certain areas is based on unprovable assumptions, etc.

Agnosticism

Agnosticism is a philosophy. a doctrine that affirms the unknowability of the world.

1. Agnosticism denies the possibility of knowing the material, objective world, knowing the truth, rejects objective knowledge.

2. In relation to God, agnosticism denies the possibility of “knowledge of God,” i.e. obtaining knowledge (any reliable information) about God, and even more so denies even the very possibility of resolving the question of the existence of God.

Philosophy of ancient China and ancient India.

Philosophy Ancient China

3-2 millennium BC

1. Ethical orientation of philosophy.

Ethics is a problematic area of ​​philosophy, the object of study of which is morality. The substantive and formal features of ethics are determined by three constants: the essence of morality as an object of study; ways of its theoretical understanding and description in the sociocultural context

2.I am not interested in the problems of the structure of the World.

Confucianism and Taoism arose:

Confucianism- ethical and philosophical teaching developed by Confucius (551-479 BC). The starting point of Confucianism is the concept of Heaven (Tian) and heavenly command. (order, i.e. fate). Heaven is part of nature, but at the same time it is also the highest spiritual power that determines nature itself and man (Life and death are determined by fate, wealth and nobility depend on Heaven). A person endowed by Heaven with certain ethical qualities must act in accordance with them and with the highest moral law (Tao), and also improve these qualities through education.

The goal of self-improvement is to achieve the level of a noble husband; this level does not depend on social origin, but is achieved through cultivating high moral qualities and culture. A noble husband must, first of all, have humanity, humanity and love for people. The qualities of a noble husband are based on the principle - what you don’t wish for yourself, don’t do to others.

Taoism arose in the IV-III centuries BC. It says that there is a universal law - Tao, the universe, which attracts the World for the better and leads to the fact that it is constantly changing. Nothing is stable. Everything obeys this law.

The world is moving towards better things

There are no gods, because nothing is permanent

The social ideals of Taoism were a return to the “natural,” primitive state and intra-community equality. Taoism condemned wars, opposed the wealth and luxury of the nobility, and the cruelty of rulers. The founder of Taoism, Lao Tzu, put forward the theory

“inaction”, calling the masses to passivity, to follow the “Tao” - the natural course of things.

Philosophy of Ancient India.

The religion of Hinduism played a major role in the spiritual life of India.

Hinduism- religious system.

The polytheism characteristic of Hinduism (not limited to the worship of the main triad - Shiva, Brahma, Vishnu) made it possible to choose both the object of the cult itself and the form of its veneration, depending on the specific purpose of addressing the deity, each of which was assigned certain functions, and also depending on the direction in Hinduism that the Indian adhered to, be it Shaivism, Vaishnavism or their many varieties.

In the field of philosophy, Hinduism developed the problem of the relationship between the general and the particular, the finite and the infinite, the unity of the Cosmos, the Absolute, and the relativity of truth. The breadth of Hinduism was also manifested in the development of spatio-temporal characteristics, the unit of cosmic time being the “day of Brahma,” equal to 4320 minutes of astronomical years. Hence the idea of ​​the frailty and immediacy of the present, which determined the quietism, speculativeness and contemplation of philosophical systems based on Hinduism.

The central place in the philosophical concept of Hinduism is occupied by the doctrine of the transmigration of souls in accordance with merits and actions in previous births (karma). The goal of any Hindu cult is to realize the connection with its object, the disappearance of the opposition of the individual soul to the world.

In accordance with religious and philosophical ideas, Hinduism has developed certain norms of social institutions with detailed regulation of behavior depending on the individual’s place in the social caste hierarchy, as well as depending on his age, highlighting four periods (ashrams) in life: apprenticeship, leadership in the family , hermitage, hermitage and detachment from earthly things.

Much earlier (mid-1st millennium BC) Buddhism took shape in India.

Buddhism. According to Buddhism, life in all its manifestations is an expression of various combinations or “flows” of immaterial particles. These combinations determine the existence of a particular person, animal, plant, etc. After the decay of the corresponding combination, death occurs, but these particles do not disappear without a trace, but form a new combination; this determines the rebirth of the individual in accordance with the law - rewards depending on behavior in previous life. The endless chain of rebirths can be interrupted, and everyone should strive for this; the cessation of rebirths that cause suffering means the achievement of nirvana - a state of peace, bliss, merging with the Buddha. But achieving such a super-existence is possible only by leading a virtuous life.

The basis of the teaching is the “four great truths.” The truths proclaim that 1) life is suffering, 2) the cause of all suffering is desires, 3) suffering can be stopped by getting rid of desires,

“extinguishing” the latter, and for this it is necessary 4) to lead a virtuous life according to the laws of “correct behavior” and “correct knowledge”. “Right conduct” means living by the following principles: do not kill or harm anyone, do not steal, do not lie, do not commit adultery, and do not drink mind-numbing drinks. For monasticism, moreover, the main line of behavior should be asceticism, and therefore Buddhist monks are prohibited from attending entertainment, sleeping on a comfortable bed, using rubbing, incense, perfume, or owning gold and silver; and also eat in the afternoon. “Correct knowledge” implies self-deepening and internal contemplation - meditation. “Right behavior” and “right knowledge” allow a person to gradually break out of the endless chain of rebirths and achieve nirvana.

Religion (from the Latin religio - conscientious attitude towards something) is no less complex and diverse phenomenon than philosophy, science or art. Its complexity and diversity are reflected in the polysemy of the term “religion.” Religion is often understood as “any view that contains a significant element of faith. In this case, the concept of religion includes many different phenomena of the human spiritual world. Therefore, for the rigor and certainty of reasoning, it is necessary to limit the scope of application of the concept of religion. This is easiest to do by taking the developed world religions as a starting point. These include Christianity, Islam, Judaism, and Buddhism. The named religious movements, due to the length of their history, the breadth of their distribution and other factors, are carefully developed systems. They contain all the elements that characterize religion as a phenomenon of spiritual culture and social life. The beginnings of religion that arose in primitive society should be distinguished from the form of religion as it developed, starting from the “Axial Time.” Let us list the main elements that characterize developed forms of religion:

  • 1. Creed.
  • 2. Religious organization (church).
  • 3. Cult (system of rituals and sacraments). A creed is a doctrine that reveals the meaning and essence of a given religious direction. The central place in the doctrine is given to the doctrine of God - theology, or theology. Theology (theology) reveals the concept of God that is characteristic of a given confession - an association of people professing the same faith. Theology also explains the meaning of religious dogmas - provisions and ideas that are fundamental to a given creed. In most world religions, God is interpreted as a fundamentally supermundane being, i.e. a being that is qualitatively different from the things of the visible (sensually perceived) world. Therefore, the way of knowing God must be fundamentally different from the way a person knows the world around him. Explaining the ways of knowing God (knowing God) is one of most important tasks theology, or theology. Closely related to religious doctrine is a certain ethical system - a set of moral ideals, principles and norms characteristic of a given religious trend.

A religious organization (church) is one of the most important elements of religious life. It consists of a system of religious institutions, as well as people professionally engaged in organizing the practice of religious worship - clergy. A religious organization is also a certain management system. Church leaders (clergy) conduct religious educational work among ordinary believers - parishioners, or laity. The network of educational and theological educational institutions is designed to train professional cadres of church ministers. The presence of a church organization turns religion into a social institution, standing among other social institutions, such as science, law, cultural and educational institutions. The main function of the church is to create conditions for the practice of religious worship. The Church is seen as an obligatory mediator between God and man.

A cult is a system of rites (rituals) and sacraments characteristic of a given religious trend. Developed religions suggest complex system rituals and sacraments. It is assumed that without them, full communication between God and man is impossible. Within the framework of Christianity, for example, the elements of cult include baptism, prayer, confession, repentance, communion, fasting, veneration of saints, observance religious holidays and significant dates church calendar etc. Through cult, religion addresses not only the mental but also the emotional side of a person. Most faiths are clearly aware of the difference between religious forms of knowledge and purely rational ones. The practice of religious worship is intended to influence the whole being of a person, and not just his mind.

Comparing philosophy and religion as social phenomena, we see, first of all, that for philosophy the presence of a cult side is not characteristic feature. Rituals and sacraments do not play a significant role either in science or in many other areas of human activity. At the same time, the fact that most forms of culture, including non-religious ones, contain individual elements of cult is generally recognized.

Culture as a holistic phenomenon presupposes the presence of certain procedures (rituals). They imprint patterns of behavior that are recognized by a given association of people as positive. Violations of accepted patterns are perceived as manifestations of a negative property. Based on the accepted samples, norms and rules or standards for a certain type of activity are developed. In this sense, even such a purely rational sphere of human activity as science is not without a cult side. However, neither in science nor in culture as a whole does the cult, of course, play such a significant role as it plays in religion. On this basis, comparing religion with philosophy is not difficult, since cult is not specific to philosophy. The situation is different if we compare the content side of religion and philosophy. In this case, it is necessary, first of all, to compare the two doctrines, i.e. philosophy and theology. So V.F. Shapovalov believes that several options can be identified for resolving the issue of the relationship between theology and philosophy.

The first option can be characterized by a brief formula: “philosophy is its own theology.” It is most clearly represented ancient philosophy. Ancient philosophers in most cases built an independent religious and philosophical system, different from the folk religions of their time. These are rational systems that seek to substantiate the abstract concept of God. The element of faith in the philosophies of, for example, Plato and Aristotle plays a much smaller role compared to the beliefs of the Greeks. Ancient philosophers create a special theology, designed for the few, for the educated part of society, for those who are able and willing to think and reason. Here God is a very abstract concept. It is significantly different from anthropomorphic ones, i.e. humanoid gods of religious and mythological concepts: Zeus, Apollo, etc.

The second version of the relationship between philosophy and theology develops in the Middle Ages. It can be described as “philosophizing in faith.” Philosophy here exists “under the sign” of faith. It starts directly from the dogmas of theology. The truths of revelation are regarded as immutable. On their basis, philosophical knowledge develops, more comprehensive in nature and more abstract in comparison with theological knowledge. “Philosophizing in faith” endows the Christian God-Personality with abstract philosophical characteristics. He is a symbol of the infinite, eternal, one, true, good, beautiful, etc.

The third option is associated with the focus of philosophical knowledge on the discovery of such universal characteristics of being that do not depend on the religious worldview. This philosophy is religiously neutral. It takes into account the fact of the diversity of religious denominations, but its theoretical provisions are constructed in such a way that they are acceptable to all people, without distinction of religion. She does not build her own God, but she does not reject the God of religions. She leaves the question of God entirely to the discretion of theology. This type is characteristic of a number of areas of Western European philosophy in the 18th century. and is still widespread today.

There is a fourth option open confession irreconcilability of philosophy and religion. This is an atheistic philosophy. She fundamentally rejects religion, viewing it as a delusion of humanity.

IN modern philosophy All of the above options are presented. The question arises as to which of the above options is the most “correct”. Preference depends on the person himself. Each of us has the right to independently decide which option to prefer, which one most corresponds to the nature of our personal worldview. In order to outline approaches to solving this issue, it is necessary, in particular, to find out what faith is, not just religious faith, but faith in general. Understanding the phenomenon of faith is the task of philosophy.

Faith is a person’s unshakable conviction in something. This conviction is based on a special ability of the human soul. Faith as a special ability of the soul has independent significance. It is not directly dependent on either the mind or the will. You cannot force yourself to believe in anything; volitional effort does not form faith and is not capable of generating faith. In the same way, you cannot believe in anything by relying only on the arguments of reason. Faith requires outside reinforcements when the enthusiasm of faith dries up. The kind of faith that needs external reinforcement is a weakening faith. It is clear that it is undesirable for faith to contradict the arguments of reason. But this does not always happen. One must distinguish between blind and conscious faith. Blind faith occurs when a person believes in something, but is not aware of what exactly and why. Conscious faith is faith that is closely related to the understanding of the object of faith. Such faith presupposes knowledge of what should be believed and what should not be believed and is even dangerous for a person’s well-being and the preservation of his soul.

The cognitive value of faith is small. It would be frivolous to maintain an unshakable conviction in the absoluteness of certain scientific provisions, despite experimental data and logical arguments. Scientific research presupposes the ability to doubt, although it is not without faith. And yet, in knowing, we cannot rely on faith. Validity and logical persuasiveness are much more important here. But if the cognitive significance of faith is small, then its vital significance is exceptionally great. Without faith, the very process of human life is impossible. In fact, in order to live, we must believe that we are destined for some more or less significant mission on earth. To live, we must believe in our own strength. We trust our senses and believe that in most cases they provide us with correct information about the outside world. After all, we and our minds believe in the ability of our thinking to find more or less acceptable solutions to complex problems. However, in life there are many situations (most of them), the outcome of which we are not able to calculate in advance with absolute accuracy. In such situations, faith helps us out. Lack of faith leads to apathy and despondency, which can turn into despair. Lack of faith gives rise to skepticism and cynicism.

Philosophy one way or another recognizes the role of faith in a broad sense. The German philosopher K. Jaspers substantiated, for example, the concept of “philosophical faith.” Similar concepts can be found in other philosophers. Philosophical faith is not an alternative to religious faith. On the one hand, any believer, regardless of religious affiliation, can accept it, without renouncing their religious beliefs. On the other hand, it is also acceptable for people who are religiously indifferent in matters of religion. Philosophical faith is opposed to superstition. Superstition is a thoughtless belief in omens and predictions of an arbitrary nature. She also rejects the worship of idols. Such worship places an individual or group of individuals on an unattainable pedestal, endowing them with the quality of infallibility. Finally, philosophical faith rejects fetishism. Fetishism is the worship of things. He wrongfully assigns absolute meaning to something that by its nature is temporary, conditional, transitory. Philosophical faith presupposes the recognition of that which has absolute significance. It orients a person towards eternal values. It is faith in that which is sacred, that which has lasting significance. Philosophical faith expresses faith in truth, goodness and beauty, although they are difficult to achieve, they exist and deserve to be strived for. By focusing on the highest, faith helps to better navigate the earthly world and avoid its temptations and temptations. Therefore, according to K. Jaspers, “can also be called faith in communication. For here two provisions are valid: truth is what connects us, and the origins of truth lie in communication. A person finds... another person as the only reality with which he can unite in understanding and trust. At all stages of the unification of people, fellow travelers in fate, lovingly, find the path to the truth, which is lost in isolation, in stubbornness and self-will, in closed loneliness.”

For well-being and prosperity modern world It is extremely important to find a way to establish a full-fledged dialogue between believers and non-believers, between people of different religious affiliations. Philosophy plays an important role in solving this problem.