By Schubert Ogden
The Notebooks of Schubert Ogden
Philosophy and religion differ, I've argued, because philosophy is a secondary form of culture, while religion is a primary form (cf., e.g., Is There Only One True Religion . . .?: 8 f.). Another "more fundamental" point of difference is that philosophy is already constituted in principle by the original revelation accessible to human beings simply as such, while religion is constituted in principle thanks only to some special revelation claiming to be decisive revelation (cf. Notebooks, 15 December 2003). But could it be that philosophy and religion differ in yet another respect?
Although both are concerned with self-understanding and life-praxis, religion is, first of all, the direct witness of proclamation, whereas philosophy is, first of all, the indirect witness of teaching—although, of course, teaching implies proclamation, even as proclamation implies teaching.
6 October 2005; rev. 2 June 2009
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