Number DOI: http://doi.org/10.33209/2519-4348-2707-9627-2024-12-154

VB. – № 12, 2024. – P. 71-83

Summary

Analyzing the terms «science» and «religion» we understand that when they are used in the context of the correlation between the scientific and the religious, a certain associative series of these terms arises. Thus, within the framework of the raised issues, the use of the term «science» often also implies such concepts as «reason», «rationality», «scientific cognition», «scientific knowledge», etc. When the term «religion» is used, again within the framework of the problem of correlation between the scientific and the religious, the concepts of «faith», «divinity», «theology», etc. are often used, considering them synonymous or identical. The article highlights the terminological definitions of the concepts of «science» and «religion», with an emphasis on identifying the differences between the concept of «science» and the concepts of «scientific cognition», «scientific knowledge», etc.; accordingly, the non-identity of the concept of «religion» with such concepts as «faith», «divinity», «theology», etc. is also revealed in order to avoid irrelevant information content of these terms. Thus, the Philosophical Encyclopedic Dictionary offers a rather concise definition of this concept, namely: «religion is a spiritual phenomenon that expresses one’s belief in the existence of a supernatural Origin and for him/her is a means of communicating with it and entering its world», however it needs to be supplemented. Traditionally, religion is associated with beliefs and doctrines, moral values, and forms of worship, and when we use this term in the context of science and religion, we refer to a general overview of a religious standpoint of the world. In attempt to define the concept of «science», worth noting is that by nature, science is not a worldview or philosophy of life and, not covering such a scale, is a way of studying one of the aspects of reality, namely, the external, the material world. In 1998, the American Physical Society proposed a definition of science that most scientists would accept. After several formulations, the project was terminated due to the lack of agreement. The most acceptable definition described science as: «a disciplined search for the purpose of understanding nature in all its aspects… that requires an open and complete exchange of ideas and data… and skepticism about their own findings». Science tries to understand the nature of the material world, its origin, and the laws that prevail in it. Religion seeks the meaning of one’s life.

Key words: science, scientific cognition, scientific knowledge, religion, faith, divinity, theology.

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