PHILOSOPHY, RELIGION AND HUMANITY

Abstract

The etymology of philosophy; love of wisdom connotes the love of wise decisions in the affairs of life. This reflects the decisions one makes in the society in order to live a good and peaceful life and to co-exist with other members of the society. Religion expresses belief in a supernatural being, and human beings are the subjects of these beliefs; human beings express their beliefs in the supernatural being. The wars, violence, conflicts and hatred which religion begets, over the years, raises the fundamental question: why is man’s belief the doom of man’s existence?. Ethics, a sub-branch of philosophy, attempts to examine the rationale for human actions and how men ought to act in general. Since ethics is concerned with everyday problems arising as a result of human acts, it poses such questions as: what is the life for man?, is violence and conflict right or wrong?, how are we to determine which actions are performed rightly or wrongly?, can religious violence be justified?, how can the culture of peace and non-violence be realized?. These philosophical questions place man at the center of all beliefs, and use reason to reveal the influences religion has on those who believe in it and its influence on humanity as a whole. It is within this framework that this paper, using an historical, expository, and evaluative methodology, examines the role of philosophy in the face of religious challenges and towards humanity.