Is there any overlap of Philosophy and Religion? If so, what is that overlap?

Answer 1

Philosophy, as a study of wisdom, would underlie all human systems that require thought. Thus philosophy would overlap with all human endeavors except those that absolutely do not require thought. (And even those can be argued from an outsider's viewpoint). As religion is a manmade system by which he considers phenomena he cannot define in other ways, philosophy would be an essential part of religion. It is also an essential part of science. I couldn't tell you the academically defined and accepted degree of overlap, however. I simply understand it to be integral.

Answer 2

I feel that philosophy generally has to do with the immaterial, or at least the immaterial aspects of the material world. Religion is also completely immaterial. Both attempt to explain a side of the world that is not necessarily observable. They try to make sense out of the things we don't know or the way we behave. I think that religion can be philosophical and philosophy can be religious. While I think philosophy is based more on observations of human behavior, both philosophy and religion require imagination and an ability to look beyond the observable to try to come to an understanding of the world.

Answer 3

The overlap is in the consideration of metaphysics, which A. J. Ayer, in "Language, Truth and Logic" argued had no business in philosophy.

Answer 4

They shade into each other.

Religion is fundamentally about social cohesion, and personal and group experience of the numinous. Philosophy is fundamentally about a structured rational account of the data of experience, i.e., a metaphysics. Religion tends to be bound by dogmatic assertions, while philosophy tends to retain its freedom to follow thought wherever it might take us.

Religion needs philosophy, because without it, it can have no comprehensible self-articulation. And philosophy needs religion, because without the impetus of inward experience and intuition, it's just dry and sterile ratiocination.

There's a whole spectrum between religious people who totally reject philosophy (fundamentalists who reject the workings of the "fallen" mind) and philosophers who totally reject religion. But I think the two need to go hand in hand.

Answer 5

Well from what I have observed many religions start of with philosophical principles and then use God or gods to strenghten or validate them. Those without deities hold up a lot better on their own merit.