Religion gives an answer in "myth"

 At first, religion and philosophy were thinking about almost the same questions. For example, why does the world exist? How did you do it? Why do humans suffer so much? How can I escape from this suffering? And so on.

Religion gave answers to these questions in the form of "myths".

For example, according to the Jewish and Christian scriptures "Old Testament", the world started when God said "light."

In the religion of the ancient Sumerian civilization about 5,000 years ago, it is said that the world began when the goddess Nammu, the "primitive water", gave birth to the god of heaven and the god of the earth.

Like Sumer, the myth that the world was water at first is in various religions. There is also a myth all over the world that the present world was created by separating the heavens and the earth. In the ancient religion of Japan, the world is said to have started from the separation of heaven and earth.

According to a great religious scholar named Mircea Eliade, such myths have become universally found everywhere in the world since humanity began farming about 10,000 years ago ("History of World Religions". 』).

Certainly, water, heaven and earth are indispensable for agriculture. So it's natural to think that these were at the core of mythology.

The myth of dragon extermination is also around the world. The dragon is a symbol of water. So that rule was of great significance in the agricultural civilization.

Flood myths such as "Noah's Ark" also exist in various places. According to Eliade, this symbolizes the end and rebirth of the world, more than a record of the actual flood.

For agriculture, the change of seasons and the circulation of water are very important. So people were afraid that this world would one day stop its "circulation". So they might have come up with the myth that the old world would be destroyed and rejuvenated.

Next, about the question, "Why do humans suffer so much?"

Religion gave the answer to this in the following way.

For example, Judaism and Christianity are banished from paradise because Adam and Eve ate the forbidden fruit, and since then humans have experienced death and suffering. Alternatively, ancient Indian religions preach that the soul repeats reincarnation and therefore suffering also repeats forever.

Then, how can we be saved from this suffering?

Christianity preaches, "It is by worshiping the only God." On the other hand, Indian religions preach "by knowing the" truth "of the world" or "through the" practice "of yoga."

In this way, religion has answered questions such as "How did the world begin?" And "Why do humans suffer?" Through "myths" that respond to people's feelings.

What are the difficulties of religion?

Nothing symbolizes the essence of the human spirit as much as religion.

There is a so-called scientific desire to "know the secrets of the world". There is an urgent desire to be saved from suffering. And again, there is a sensitivity to feel "noble".

Religion is like a general department store with a human spirit.

Philosophy, it can be said that it was made by separating goodwill from the general department store of this spirit. In other words, historically, religion is the mother of philosophy.

But why did philosophy jump out of religion?

It is because religion has two major drawbacks that cannot be avoided at the same time as its great significance.

One essence of religion is the "faith" in the myths as seen above.

The power of "faith" is enormous. It has two major meanings.

One is that it gives people peace of mind. And the other is that peace will come among those who believe in the same religion.

However, at the same time, there is a big problem with religion.

One is that there are people who cannot completely believe in that religion. We human beings who are suspicious, even if it is said that human beings started from Adam and Eve, or that the soul is reincarnated in reincarnation, there is something that does not fall into my mind.

The other is that people who believe in different religions and denominations often compete fiercely. For example, Christianity and Islam. Catholic and Protestant ...

Mankind has repeatedly fought for life between different religions and denominations.

There were many religious wars like this in the background of the emergence and development of philosophy.

Philosophy pursues "confirmation possibility"

The origin of Western philosophy dates back to ancient Greece, about 2600 years ago. Aegean Sea,

Surrounded by the Ionian Sea, the Mediterranean Sea, and the sea, Greece has been home to various ethnic groups since that time. So there must have been fierce conflicts between people of different religions and myths.

Ancient Greek philosophers appeared in such a social background.

The first philosopher is said to be a man named Thales. He thought of this.

Religion is too different depending on race and culture. Besides, we cannot "verify" whether the myths of each religion are really correct. Therefore, it is a little impossible to explain the world by myth.

Therefore, Thales carefully observed nature and thought as follows. "Water is essential for living things to live, and the world is covered with vast oceans, which means that everything must be made of water at its roots!"

The famous theory is that "the source of all things (arche) is water".

From the history of human knowledge, there was some important progress here. Because Thales showed the keyword "water" not as a believable "myth" but as a principle that everyone should "confirm".

In fact, the next philosopher, Anaximander, said, "No, water isn't enough. We should say that the source of all things (arche) is" infinite. "" I criticized it. The disciple Anaximenes criticized his teacher, saying, "No, it's the air."

It can be said that the history of philosophy is the history that his disciples have criticized the master thoroughly. In that respect, it is in contrast to the religion that faithfully follows the teachings of the gurus.

While inheriting the excellent ideas of his predecessors, he thoroughly criticizes what is lacking. And we will develop our thoughts further. That is the spirit of philosophy.

In this way, philosophy has thought that by pursuing "confirmation possibility", we will somehow put an end to the conflict over "confirmability" myths and beliefs. Indeed, religion is the mother of philosophy.

Of course, this is not the story of which one is better. Religion has its own meaning. Above all, it must be said that the power that gives peace to people's hearts is still great.

Besides, as I said before, religion, which is a comprehensive department store of the human spirit, originally includes a scientific spirit and a philosophical spirit. Philosophy has consciously taken out the spirit of "certainty possibility" from it, and has taken the path of refining it.

Has philosophy been replaced by science?

By the way, but keen readers may have had such a gimon.

 that? But then, what is the difference between philosophy and science? When.

It is now exclusively science work to explain the world in a "confirmable" way. What Thales, Anaximander, and Anaximenes thought are now doing research on astrophysics and quantum mechanics at a level that is unmatched at the time.

Does that mean that philosophy has been replaced by science in modern times?

No, that's not the case. Rather, philosophy should still be said to be the foundation of science.

What exactly does that mean?

Next time, I would like to talk about the difference between philosophy and science, or the relationship between them.