Difference Between Religion and Philosophy

Have you ever wondered about the difference between religion and philosophy? As you know,
religion and philosophy are two different topics altogether. Religion is all about practices and
customs whereas philosophy is all about metaphysics. A religion preaches its followers what
they should do, what they should not do. Often a religion presents rewards and punishments. An
example is the belief that people who do good go to heaven while those who sin go to hell. On
the other hand, a philosophy searches and questions to get the right and logical answers. A
philosophy does not accept everything as a religion does unless it has a logical reason behind it.

What is a Religion?

Religion is a belief; it has a set of code of conduct, principles, ethics and morals to follow in
ones life. There are several religions in the world. It only means that people of the world follow
different kinds of religion that frame different sets of principles, ethics, morals and codes of
conduct to follow for the people that belong to them.

Thus you have Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, Judaism, Sikhism, and Zoroastrianism to mention
some of the religions of the world. Each of these religions prescribes a separate set of principles,
ethics and morals along with customs to follow by the people of the particular religion.

Religion insists on the performance of rituals. On the other hand, if you are religious you cannot
do away with the performance of rituals and rites. They become part and parcel of your life.

What is a Philosophy?

Philosophy, on the other hand, speaks about the realization of the supreme truth. It deals with the
topic of life after death. It speaks about the existence of the soul and life hereafter. Philosophy
establishes the divine nature of man. It questions the absolute truth that each soul is potentially
divine. This is philosophy associated with religion. Philosophy can also mean, according to the
Oxford English dictionary, the study of the theoretical basis of a particular branch of knowledge
or experience. An example is the philosophy of science. While religion insists on the
performance of rituals, philosophy does not emphasize the ritualistic aspect of life. Philosophy is,
in fact, construed to be a way of thinking. This is the reason why philosophers are called as
thinkers whereas propagators of religions are called leaders. If you are philosophical then you
need not perform rituals and other rites connected with religion.

What is the difference between Religion and Philosophy?

Religion is a belief in a supreme power and worship of it as the creator and controller of the
universe without reasoning whereas philosophy is a pursuit of wisdom by intellectual search and
logical reasoning.

Philosophy of religion questions the very existence of the supreme power.

 Religions discipline the people through a set of code of conduct, principles and ethics whereas
philosophy relies on the moral self-discipline.

Religion is all about practices and customs whereas philosophy is all about metaphysics.

Philosophers are called as thinkers whereas propagators of religions are called leaders.

Religion insists on the performance of rituals whereas philosophy does not emphasize the
ritualistic aspect of life.

This is the basic difference between religion and philosophy. Hence, it can be said that religion
and philosophy are mutually exclusive and they cannot co-exist.

Reference:

"Difference Between Religion and Philosophy." DifferenceBetween.Com. December 27, 2010. <
http://www.differencebetween.com/difference-between-religion-and-philosophy/ >