Religious philosophy is philosophical thinking that is influenced and directed by the teachings of a particular religion. It addresses questions about the nature of religion, theories of salvation, and conceptions of God, gods, or the divine. It can be pursued objectively or used as a persuasion tool by believers.
What are the five ways or quinque viae in religious philosophy?
The quinque viae, or Five Ways, are five arguments for the existence of God presented by Thomas Aquinas (c. 1225-1274) in his Summa Theologica. Aquinas used philosophical reasoning to address questions about God's existence within Christian theology.
What is the difference between intuitive and reflective religious philosophy?
Intuitive religious philosophy refers to beliefs described as cognitively natural that tend to arise with little formal instruction during early cognitive development, such as beliefs about souls, the afterlife, and supernatural agents. Reflective religious philosophy refers to beliefs requiring deliberate instruction and doctrinal encoding, such as karma, the Trinity in Christianity, and Brahman in Hinduism.
What did Saint Anselm of Canterbury argue in his ontological proof?
Saint Anselm (1033-1109) argued in his Proslogion that God is "that than which nothing greater can be conceived." If God existed only in the mind, something greater could be conceived that also existed in reality; therefore God must exist in reality.
How does Islamic philosophy view organ donation and euthanasia?
Islamic ethics generally supports organ donation under the principle that necessity overrides prohibition (al-darurat tubih al-mahzurat), with formal rulings issued by the UK Muslim Law Council in 1996 and the Islamic Jurisprudence Assembly Council in Saudi Arabia in 1988. Euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide are prohibited in Islamic jurisprudence; life is regarded as a sacred gift from Allah, and the moment of death (ajal) is considered beyond human control.
What is ahimsa and which religions are influenced by it?
Ahimsa is a Sanskrit ethical principle meaning non-injury to living beings that emphasizes the sanctity of all life, both human and animal. It is central to Buddhist and Hindu philosophy and has influenced vegetarian traditions in those faiths, as well as beliefs about reincarnation.