Philosophy, Religion and Scientific Thinking
by Tatiana Velitchkov © 2009

In recent centuries, markedly from the seventeenth century, there has been notable harmony between religion and science, both merging on near-same philosophical thought lines. In earlier centuries, philosophy, religion and scientific thinking held very different opinions and stands on nearly all concepts. What one proclaimed to be the truth, the others usually opposed and quite strongly at that. However, a number of historians, religious scholars and scientists were later published as saying that the three were interlinked in many aspects.

For instance, one religious scholar, who is a professor, is quoted as saying that a belief in divine creation was at the core of the emergence of science in the 17th century. More philosophy experts have gone ahead to show that there were links between religion and the most successful scientific breakthroughs such as Isaac Newton’s and Robert Boyle’s discoveries. For a long time, scientific thinking dismissed all subjective phenomena that are key to religious dogma, such as the freedom of will, morality, conscious value and purpose. It tended to favor objective behavior and functionality of the brain instead. However, philosophical research shows that these subjective values ignored by scientists, are indeed interactive components of brain processing. They are said to play a big role in conscious behavior as well as scientific evolution.

Scientists have to come up with theories in order to prove any hypothesis. These theories are usually based on evidence which has to be circumstantial. This is where religion comes in. Most of the evidence which scientists rely on, is actually supported by religion, hence the co-relation between science and religion. The more one tries to prove something scientifically, the more religious evidence is discovered. This can be explained by the fact that science will in most case try to prove things that are unusual or not the norm, so to say. Yet, finding factual proof of all this is quite difficult. Again, most of us tend to be biased towards what we see happening and what we are likely to experience.

Philosophy holds it that people who are highly religious tend to be happier in life and more satisfied, as opposed to people who are atheists or are primarily atheists. They are less likely to be suicidal, have depression, hypertension or other clinical conditions. But there are reports that being too religious can also result in obsessive-compulsory disorders. Die-hard scientists too are not spared either and will often suffer their own forms of mental flops. That said, finding a bridge between science and religion is what brings a sense of balance to the mind.

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