Volume-VI, Issue-I, July 2019 |
Philosophical interpretation of the relation between Morality and Religion Dr. Jahirul Hussain, Assistant Professor, Goreswar College, Bhogpur, Goreswar, Baksa (BTC), Assam, India |
Received: 02.07.2019 | Accepted: 18.07.2019 | Published Online: 31.07.2019 | Page No: 70-75 | ||||
DOI: 10.29032/ijhsss.vol.06.issue.01W.084 | |||||||
ABSTRACT | ||
The research paper attempts to give a brief account of morality and religion. It also tries to find out the mutual relationship between morality and religion. The main objective of the article is to give a philosophical interpretation of the relation of morality to religion. Morality or ethics deals with human conduct. Morality is a thoroughly totalitarian ideal. The concept of morality is characterised by greater universality. Moral principles are meant for everybody. Teaching of morality is completely universal and open. On the other hand, religion consists of beliefs, dogmas, traditions, practices and rituals. True religion educates man and trains him in hope and patience, in truthfulness and honesty, in love for the right and good. Kant said morality is prior to religion. Martineau holds that morality leads to religion. Descartes and Locke said that religion is prior to morality. Philosophers have strongly divided over whether religion is a positive or a negative influence in the moral life. Some philosophers, such as, Marx, Neitzsche etc. argue that religion is a threat to the moral life. But the service of religion to ethics is accepted by many thinkers. Philosophers, like Kant, Bergson, Mahatma Gandhi etc. say that religion has close association with morality. Morality and religion have been closely connected in the history of the race. Religion and morality are closely related but they are not identical. Neither morality precedes religion nor does religion precede morality. They are intertwined and interdependent on each other. |