Philosophy and Religion

Saint Genevieve. Wikimedia Commons (Public Domain)		Masjid Nabawi. Medina, Saudi Arabia. Wikimedia Commons (Ali Imran, CC)		Torah. Wikimedia Commons (Horsch Willy, GFDL)

Throughout history, philosophy and religion have played a significant role in the development of a society, how it treats outsiders, and how it treats its own members. Humans have frequently looked to gods or deities to lead them and to answer some of life’s mysteries.
The Romans and the Greeks were led by a group of deities who shared many of the same traits and powers. The Greeks thought that the gods Zeus, Hades, and Poseidon were the supreme lords of the sky, the underworld, and the … waters. These and other gods had supernatural powers, but were limited in their powers by Moira, or fate, which was the force of destiny. The gods often fought against each other and meddled in human affairs.
The three main Western religions of Islam, Judaism, and Christianity can all trace their beginnings to the story of Abraham in The Bible. Today, there are more than 1 billion Muslims, more than 1 billion Christians and millions of Jewish people around the world. The ongoing struggle in the Middle East can be traced, in part, to the conflicts between these three religious groups. The Crusades, the creation of the state of Israel in 1948, and other events in history have created tension and led to conflict between the three groups.
Philosophy and religion are also practiced throughout Asia, with Buddhism, Confucianism, Hinduism, and Shinto found in India, parts of China, Japan, and other areas. Philosophy is usually divided into the branches of metaphysics, logic, epistemology, ethics, and aesthetics. They all help followers study the ultimate reality, causes, and principles that lie under being and thinking.

• Ancient Religions
• Christianity
• Eastern Religions
• Islam
• Judaism
• Other Religious Beliefs and General Terms
• Philosophy
• The Bible