The Differences Between Religion And The Philosophies Of...

As we see our world continually changing all around us, there are many things of interest that have not because of technology but because of the beliefs held in various societies. One such change has been with current religious beliefs compared with philosophies of the past. One may wonder if these ideas still have value, and, if so, what are the differences and similarities between current religion, such as Christianity and the philosophies of the ancients. When we compare both modern religion and ancient philosophy, some people may believe that they are two completely different ideas with no commonalities. The truth is that they sometimes serve the same purpose. In literal terms, philosophy is the study of the fundamental nature or knowledge, reality and existence, especially when considered as an academic discipline. Religion, on the other hand, is defined as a belief in which a superhuman, controlling power such as a god or gods is in control of the existing world. While, by definition, these two concepts may seem very different, they are actually quite similar. For example, many of the fundamental ideas associated with Epicureanism, an ancient philosophy from the Greeks, are very relatable to Christianity today. Epicureanism is a philosophical system in which the central idea states that the external world is a series of fortuitous combinations of atoms and that the highest good is pleasure, interpreted as freedom from distur bance or pain. To fully understandShow MoreRelatedAncient China Versus Ancient Greece Essay1008 Words   |  5 PagesAncient China Versus Ancient Greece Ancient China and Ancient Greece were two vastly different civilizations with different cultures; they shared a multitude of similar political, economic, and philosophical achievements while also inholding multiple differences. The centralized government of China differed from the independent city-states of Athens. A similarity that both civilizations held in regards to politics would be the role, or lack thereof one, that women played within their respectiveRead MoreComparing The Religions Of Hinduism And Buddhism Essay1459 Words   |  6 PagesExam II #2. Compare and contrast the religions of Hinduism and Buddhism. What were the essential differences between the two? What hope did they give to the common people of India ? Both Hinduism and Buddhism are prominent religions in the ancient and modern world. They are arguably two of the most popular polytheistic faiths as well. Most people make the mistake of grouping them as one uniform religion, but this is inaccurate. Buddhism and Hinduism do split some resemblance, but several aspectsRead MoreAncient Chinese Philosophies : Comparisons Between Lao And Confucius1476 Words   |  6 PagesAncient Chinese Philosophies: Comparisons between Lao Su and Confucius Daoism and Confucianism are two of China’s oldest religions. Both of these men’s teachings largely affect China’s belief system today, and both still widely practiced and still have temples all over the world. Confucianism helped shape China’s education system that still stands today, and Daoism has been helping people understand â€Å"the way† of life since the Han Dynasty. They are both very similar to each other, but at the sameRead MoreLegalism, Taoism, and Confucianism in Ancient China1049 Words   |  4 PagesLegalism, Taoism, and Confucianism in Ancient China Philosophies dictate the most basic beliefs, concepts, and attitudes of individuals or groups, even entire civilizations. Since the beginning of time there has been great debate among men over which philosophies to live life by. The list of philosophies that exist in the world today is nearly endless, making it difficult to decide which one is the most suitable to live by. Ancient China was arguably among one of the most philosophical culturesRead MoreSimilarities Between Christianity And Christianity903 Words   |  4 Pagesforth an abrupt change to the ancient Roman Empire between 100 CE to 500 CE. Ancient Roman society before this time period was religiously devoted to polytheistic deities. The birth of Jesus and the eventual spread of Christianity brought forth many social and political changes to this society. Christianity was at first persecuted by other religions, and later it would persecute them. Although Christianity in ancient Rome shared some similarities to traditional Roman religion, it was ultimately an absoluteRead MoreGreece and Rome through 1800 B.C. to 476 A.D. Essay1192 Words   |  5 PagesGreece and Rome through 1800 B.C. to 476 A.D. THE ANCIENT GREEKS AND ANCIENT ROMANS LIVED THROUGHOUT THE TIMES OF 800B.C. AND 476A.D. THE GREEKS WHO INHABITTED THE CITY-STATES OF SPARTA AND ATHENS, AND THE ROMANS WHO LIVED, OF COURSE, IN ROME. THE GREEKS AND ROMANS WERE DIFFERENT IN THEIR VIEWS OF RELIGION AS SEEN IN ARCHITECTURE, SCULPTURE AND PHILOSOPHY. ARCHITECTURE POST-MODERNISM CAN BE TRACED BACK TO THE SUPREME ARCHITECTURAL ACHIEVEMENTS OF THE GREEKSRead MoreGreek And Roman Comparisons And Contributions1698 Words   |  7 Pagesand Roman Comparisons and Contributions Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome are responsible for many facets in today’s world. In fact, when reviewing history, the Greeks and Romans are sometimes confused with one another. There are many shared traditions, but yet there are many differences between the two. The countries are both Mediterranean, however they had different social class structures, different mythology, and placed different values on life. Ancient Greece was vibrant in the fifth century BRead MoreSufism1337 Words   |  6 Pagesthe categories of religions. Technically Sufism is a denomination of Islam, however there are many Sufis that are not Muslims and there are many Muslims that are reluctant to consider Sufism part of Islam. One of the few concepts that Sufis seem to agree on is that all religions offer a path to salvation or enlightenment and that true God realization, no matter how it is achieved, transcends the limitations and classification of any religion. Basically, a saint in any religion is eq ual to a saintRead MoreThe Importance of Religion for Two Paradigms: Science and Natural Philosophy700 Words   |  3 Pages Importance of Religion for Two Paradigms: Science and Natural Philosophy Since the beginning of the intellectual development of mankind, the question of whether there is god or not has been a question that still remains. However, its effects on our way of thinking has been shaped by a number of people, thinkers, priests, scientists so on and so forth. If we were to divide that continuum into two parts, they would be before the enlightenment and after the enlightenment. Namely the times of naturalRead MoreA Brief Note On The Japanese Religion Of Shintoism1446 Words   |  6 Pagesfocus more on relationships among human beings. This led to both uniformity, dispute and separation, among people who had different views on religion and human interaction. 3. The Japanese religion of Shintoism is most closely associated. The emperor even had to renounce his divinity of the descendant of the sun line at the end of World War II since this religion associated itself with the whole population of Japan, not just the royalty. To this day, many Shinto rituals are practiced in Japan, such