Philosophy refers to the study of the fundamental and general issues concerning such matters as language, mind, reason, values, knowledge, and existence (Deleuze 231). Methods of philosophy include a systematic presentation, rational argument, critical discussion, and questioning. Historically, philosophy comprises of any body of knowledge such physics medicine and astronomy. During the 19th century, the development of modern research universities caused academic philosophy as well as other disciplines to specialize and professionalize. In the contemporary era, some studies that were a customary part of philosophy have become independent academic disciplines such as economics, linguistics, sociology, and psychology. Other studies that are closely linked to politics, science or at are also part of philosophy. However, the main subfields of academic philosophy include the history of Western philosophy, philosophy of science, logic, political philosophy, aesthetics, ethics, epistemology and metaphysics (Deleuze 242). The main aim of philosophy is to understand the workings of the world provide explanations to the worlds phenomena. Nevertheless, Karl Max theorizes that the role of philosophy is not to facilitate thinking of how the world works but rather is to change the world but philosophy has no inherent demand that change is the outcome of an individual's thinking.
Pre-Socratic Reader defines philosophy as the inquiry through abstract reasoning which vitally takes experience evaluates arguments roe what it believes before justifying the case. Philosophy is based on sound logical reasoning. In the book of The African and Conscientization, the author suggests that Africans use conscientization, a synthetic ideological philosophy, to assist the African through a vital inquiry, to reach a genuine synthesis of what is of value to him or her in western and traditional culture (Anyanwu 11). He points out that as students of philosophy, Africans in this situation are tasked with searching for or suggesting new models and new ideas of thought which will resolve all tensions and conflicts (Anyanwu 12). This means that Africans need a new philosophy of man and hence conscientization should lead to the emergence of critical objectivism in the part of the African. This objectivism should embroil self-reflective criticism for the enhancement of the African society from existing socio-spiritual, political and economic conditions (Anyanwu 13). The term philosophy was coined by Pythagoras from combing two Greek words, Philein and Sophia to mean lover of wisdom. In his explanations, Anyanwu portrays philosophy as a process based on sound logical thinking.
A myth refers to a traditional story entailing evens that are presumably historical, though usually supernatural, enlightening people of the origins of a natural phenomenon or a cultural practice. The relationship between science and myth overlaps with that between philosophy and myth (Barbour 131). There are different viewpoints on the relationship between philosophy and myth. While some people say that myth and philosophy and independent of each other people say that philosophy grows out of myth or myth grows out of philosophy. While myths may be stories about phenomena and people, philosophy looks at the principle or other natural explanations for phenomena. Usually, myths allow multiple explanations for the phenomenon, but philosophy is often looking for the single principle behind the occurrence of a phenomenon. Myths are extremely slow to change and conservative. However, philosophy smoothly changes depending on the truth established regarding a phenomenon or thing (Tucker 464). Myths are morally ambivalent and self-justifying but philosophy relies on logical reasoning. Unlike philosophical particulars, myth is sacred narratives which hold spiritual or religious importance to those who tell it. While refers to a story, philosophy is associated with an argument.
Religion is defined as any cultural system of organizations, ethics, sanctified places, texts, worldviews, practices, and behavior that connect humanity to the transcendental or supernatural. Religions relate human beings to the cosmic order of existence (Pennock 200). While some religions embroil different elements that range from a supernatural being, supernatural beings, faith in things or the divine, other do not involve any of these things. Some individuals think that religion and myth are the same while others argue differently. Religion entails a collection of ethics, principles, rules, and morals that serve to guide people's way of living (Moser 176). On the other hand, philosophy is a wider domain of disciplines that deal with such notions as life itself, knowledge, the research for the ultimate truth and metaphysical. Even though both religion and philosophy deal with the life of human beings, they vary in certain aspects such as the presence of rituals across all global religions and the absence of such rituals in philosophy, since philosophy only addresses how human beings think. Hence, a person cannot be completely religious if they do not perform some rituals that are upheld by his or her religion while this same individual can be philosophical even without taking part in any of the religious rituals of his or her religion (Buber 470).
Philosophy is in contrast to religious movements such as Christianity which has an inherent motivation to change the world by conversion of individuals to its cause. Customary philosophy concerns itself more with academic questions although it has the underlying assumption that if a person knows what is good and right, he or she will pursue it. Another distinction between religion and philosophy emanates from the strength of belief. Philosophy only believes if a particular subject under debate is proven to be true utilizing tested and accepted means of reasoning (Moser 234). If there is the absence of an explainable and identifiable reason for the philosophy, then it is accepted as the truth. By contrast, religion places more emphasis on the belief of an individual as the core ideal of faith. Faith in this sense is the strong belief in something, even though no empirical evidence has been generated to prove that such a phenomenon or thing exists. Although sometimes religion is viewed as a branch of philosophy, it embroils numerous supernatural superstitions and beliefs, some of which are already too difficult to believe, forcing philosophers to argue against them continually (Moser 256).
Definitions of philosophy and religion embroil the same distinctions, where the initial context is mythic. Because myth does not argue, but philosophy argues, a rule of thumb on the religion is that it amalgamates philosophic factors but always preserves an authoritative connection to a mythic context (Pennock 180). A significant thing regarding the mythic context is that it is not often that it exercises a dogmatic authority, but that it is historical. Although philosophy is unable to develop historical events out of sound logical reason, religion often relates truth to historical events, which are the actual source of religions (Buber 109). Additionally, contrary to the traditional evolutionally schemes regarding human thought, it should be recognized that religion though and mythic though cannot be replaced by either science or by philosophy.
Works Cited
Anyanwu, Christian C. The African and Conscientization: A Critical Approach to African Social and Political Thought with Particular Reference to Nigeria. Author House, 2012.
Barbour, Ian G. Myths, models, and paradigms. Harper Collins, 2013.
Buber, Martin. Eclipse of God: Studies in the relation between religion and philosophy. Princeton University Press, 2015.
Deleuze, Gilles, and Felix Guattari. What is philosophy? Columbia University Press, 2014.
Moser, Paul K. The severity of God: religion and philosophy reconceived. Cambridge University Press, 2013.
Pennock, Robert T. "Cant philosophers tell the difference between science and religion? Demarcation revisited." Synthese 178.2 (2011): 177-206.
Tucker, Robert C. Philosophy, and myth in Karl Marx. Routledge, 2017.
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