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Original poster

Can Mumsnet take the word 'philosophy' out of the topic-title 'Philosophy, Religion, Spuirituality?

33 replies

Threadworm · 15/11/2007 13:07

Scanning through the topic, I see lots of religious threads, a few threads on New Age type stuff, but nothing on philosophy.

The connection between philosophy and religion isn't any greater than (say) the connection between physics and religion, and I don't think it's particularly helpful to put them together.

And as for lumping it with discussion of chrystal healing power and such like, that is slightly offensive.

If anyone wants to discuss philosophy, they could put in in 'other subjects'.

OP posts:
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Peachy · 15/11/2007 14:45

My link much shorter LOL

EmsMum · 15/11/2007 14:42

Peachy...thanks for the link... though I'm not sure if I'll make it through DHs book at the rate I'm going. He might like it though!

Carmenere · 15/11/2007 14:22

I think that this thread should be moved to the Philosophy, Religion, Spirituality topic

Peachy · 15/11/2007 14:22

Ah yes if it were a separate area- but is it worthy of a whole section?

Goodness no- don't put in Pedants Corner with the mis-spelling of Spirituality in the title LOL- you'll get lynched

Original poster
Threadworm · 15/11/2007 14:18

I think I am being oversensitive. Perhaps I should have put this in Pedant's Corner .

Peachy's question is 'where would you put it?' Well, where would you put physics, chemistry, anthropology, linguistics? In 'other subjects', I suppose.

OP posts:
hunkermunker · 15/11/2007 14:10

LOL Peachy! Not sure I'd have been much help...!

SoupDragon · 15/11/2007 14:08

It's far more misleading to shove it under "everything else".

It's certainly not offensive to included it anywhere.

Peachy · 15/11/2007 14:07

did I know that HM? (I've forgotten so much recently- my age).

Damn, all that wasted help with Nietsche essays- wasted!

Peachy · 15/11/2007 14:06

So then- where would you put it?

hunkermunker · 15/11/2007 14:06

I've got a philosophy degree.

Original poster
Threadworm · 15/11/2007 14:06

I don't find it offensive to have it alongside religion. I just think that it is not at all the same thing as religion, so that it is misleading to have it there. Discussions of baby-led weaning will rightly have philosophical content (notions of the emerging self, rights of infants, etc), but you wouldn't have 'Breastfeeding / Philosophy as atopic

OP posts:
SoupDragon · 15/11/2007 14:02

How on earth is it offensive to have it alongside new age stuff and religion??

Original poster
Threadworm · 15/11/2007 13:59

Wouldn't want to exclude philosophical discussion from the religion/spirituality area , or from anywhere else. I'm just concerned that philosophy shouldn't be identified with either religion or just a 'value system' or a set of New Age beliefs.

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PrettyCandles · 15/11/2007 13:59

Quite right, Peachy.

Peachy · 15/11/2007 13:56

Even then PC, the rationalisation of religion is a valid topic- trying to break down religions into rational responses (esp. religious texts!) is quite a common thread of both religious and philosophical research- religious religion grads are ime quite the rarity

Peachy · 15/11/2007 13:54

But there's no MN strand saying that ONLY this thread can host philosophical debate- a debate on say the ethics of genetic research is going to amterialise elsewhere. But a subject title without Philosophy will exclude quite a lot of religious and spiritual discussion if you took it literally... not just Buddhism, Jainism for example. Humanism debates occasionally amterialise here too (can you tell how long I've been around? memo to self: get a life! )

PrettyCandles · 15/11/2007 13:53

Philosophy

If you allow the point of view that people discussing religious or spiritual issues are seeking the meaning of life, the philosophy is part of that. If, however, you maintain that philosophy is purely rational, then, yes, it does not fit in with relgion and spirituality.

Original poster
Threadworm · 15/11/2007 13:47

Sure, philosophy of religion is a really important area. But so is philosophy of science, philosphy of history, philosophy and literature/art...

Historically philosophy and religion have been more intimately connected than they are now. But then so were science and religion.

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Peachy · 15/11/2007 13:43

here- slightly different translation than the one I used for Uni but an excellent site source.

Peachy · 15/11/2007 13:41

EmsMum, have you looked at the question of king menander? Another great discursive piece (but far more ancient) that gave many on our course that great lightbulb moment for understanding the erm- philosophy. Can find a link if you want?

Peachy · 15/11/2007 13:39

Are you SURE about the connection?

Almost ahving completed a three year religion and philosophy degree I'd disagree.....

Buddhism for a start: religion or philosophy (given its atheistic status): discuss and hand your thesis in ASAP!

As for all the emenent Philosophists who focus on religion (Nietzsche (can never spell it but havre read it LOL), for example

Original poster
Threadworm · 15/11/2007 13:37

Hmm, I'm not sure that language works too well when we can each decide what a word means for us.

I don't mean to make any claim about what exists and what doesn't -- e.g. whether God, the afterlife, and so on are real.

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irises · 15/11/2007 13:35

Shiny, was it Edie Brickell?

ShinyHappyPeopleHoldingHands · 15/11/2007 13:34

So are some of your opinions cod. That's a value judgement of course.

And it's "crystals are..."

CodDickinson · 15/11/2007 13:33

crystals is UTTE R boollocks