Template talk:Philosophy topics/FAQ

Q: Why shouldn't the following be included in the article?

• Christian Science
• Creationism
• Theism
• Atheism
• Agnosticism
• Evolution
• Darwinism
• Transhumanism

A:

As a general policy on what does/does not get included: Religion belongs to a religion template, pop philosophy is not yet recognized by professional philosophers as a philosophy. Remember that everything with the word 'philosophy' in the name (as in Reformational philosophy or Natural Philosophy), is not necessarily a part of professional philosophy (or even a philosophy). Religions, areas of the occult, cultural movements, and political movements are often called philosophies when they are not. For example, keep in mind that before 1900 all of science was known as philosophy (instead of "science"), therefore just because Darwin was called a philosopher in the 1850's doesn't mean he is a philosopher. Lastly, philosophic "positions" do not belong on the template as "schools." Right now Determinism is on the template but only barely, since it probably fails this standard. For this reason Theism, Atheism and Agnosticism have also been removed. As a good guide for what does belong, consult the Online Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy's Unabridged Table of Contents[1].