PHILOSOPHY AND OTHER DISCIPLINES

This topic introduces you to the analysis of the relationship between philosophy and other
disciplines. Bearing in mind that there is no discipline per se that does not stem from philosophy
as parent discipline, our main focus will be specifically on the relationship between philosophy,
the sciences and religion.

Philosophy and Science

Until the late 16th and early 19th Centuries all scientific knowledge was within the ambit of
philosophical inquiry. In other words, philosophy was the “science” per excellence. But
according to Archie J. Bahm:
 As reflections upon problems became increasing, complex and as special techniques were
developed, specialists limited the range of these inquiries, and the particular sciences
were born. Among the first were mechanics, mathematics and astronomy. Among the
latest were psychology and sociology. The romance of the maturing of these offspring of
the fecund mother must be left to the history of science.

The Nature of Scientific Knowledge

Unlike philosophy, science is best known as “an exact discipline”. In line with this, The Oxford
Advanced Dictionary also defines science as “knowledge arranged in an orderly manner,
especially knowledge obtained by observation and testing of facts….” For Frolov, the nature of
scientific knowledge goes beyond this “positivist” definition. According to him, science is also
“the field of research directed towards obtaining further knowledge of nature, society and
thought”… It (science) is not limited to natural or exact sciences. Science is an integral system
with its components flexibly correlated in history, study of nature, study of society, natural
science (1984:372). There is no doubt that science stemmed from philosophy. It is also true
that as a discipline, science bears some specific characteristics different from philosophy.
According to Harold H. Titus, scientific knowledge can be defined as:
 A system of man’s understanding of nature, society and thought. It reflects the world in
concepts, categories and laws whose truth is verified by practical experience. Science is
the study of the totality of the concrete spheres of material reality. It is concerned to
investigate and establish objective laws of nature by forming working hypothesis by
which man may be enabled to harness nature to his purposes and transform his
environment (1997:65).
From the above definition of science, it should be clear to you that the main purpose of science
as discipline is to observe, understand natural phenomena and then control processes. To any
scientist, it is assumed that the universe, the orderly and natural phenomena are predictable and
lawful.
Convergences and Divergences between Philosophy and Science
Always remember that it is improper to consider philosophy and science as competitors. Even
though science originated from philosophy as a discipline their subject matter is different. The
scientist main business is to explain natural phenomena, while a philosopher does not intend to
do so. An average scientist always seeks for explanation while the philosopher basically seeks
for justification. You should also know that the two main scientific purposes are prediction and
control over phenomena. There are also six steps procedures in any scientific inquiry which one
cannot avoid. These are: observation, inductive, generalisation, hypothesis, attempted
verification of hypothesis, proof or disproof and knowledge. Thus prediction and control based
on the laws of induction are what makes science not only original but also different from
philosophy. As academic disciplines, their methodologies are quite different.
The philosopher’s inquiry begins where that of the scientist stops. It may be difficult for a
scientist to answer philosophical questions. Philosophy operates at a different level. A scientist
cannot answer philosophical questions such as: is the world divided into mind and matter or is it
possessed of independent power? Is the mind subject to matter or is it possessed of independent
power? Has the universe any unity or purpose? Is it evolving towards some goal? Are there
really laws of nature or do we believe in them only because of our innate love of order? Does
God exist? You can see that none of these questions can find answer in the scientist’s laboratory.
You should also bear in mind that even though the kind of knowledge that the scientist and
philosopher seek is different, the purpose of their disciplines is often similar because both of
them are motivated by sheer curiosity and the satisfaction of having knowledge of the universe
purely for the pleasure of the understanding.

Philosophy and Religion

The purposes of philosophy and religion are fundamentally opposed. A philosopher is always
critical while a religionist is not. For a religionist, the role of reason is basically one of
interpreting and defending the dogma derived from sources whose authority and truth is taken on
faith while any serious philosopher begins his investigations from a position of intellectual
neutrality regardless of where his personal sympathies may lie. In philosophy, any known
assumption is subject to critical scrutiny while religion is purely dogmatic. In religion knowledge
is sought principally as a means to achieve what a given religion takes to be human kind’s final
happiness or destiny. While in philosophy, knowledge is sought simply for its own sake.
Philosophy often questions the assumptions of religion.
You should also know that the purposes of philosophy should not be confused with those of the
religious minister, the theologians, the psycho-analyst, pastors and imams. A philosopher is not a
magician. Critical reasoning, neutrality and the desire for knowledge for its own sake are the
basic concerns of a philosopher. It is in this sense that philosophy is very different from religion.