LightGigantic produces an argument which, when considered, is actually rather intriguing:
Before one can deal with any issue, one must become socialized in the culture that produces such answers and of course, must go through the processes. Accordingly, in order to speak of electrons and neutrons one must be encultured into the broader scientific community and engage in the discipline of science in a scientific manner to achieve one's results. When taken to religion, this might imply work - such as meditation, prayer, et cetera - in order to gain results. Accordingly, one cannot out right refute a religion dependent on such things without having gone through them.
On the other hand...I'd strongly disagree that this extends to philosophic principles, as opposed to what might be considered experiential/mystic. For philosophic principles fundamentally rest on something we all have equal access to, namely, reason. Accordingly, no one - including a slave boy, as Socrates demonstrated - is alien to the process of reason. Hence, there can be no special knowledge or process needed to verify any of the overall claims of a religion, such as the problem of evil, the nature of God, et cetera, et cetera...
Philosophy (or jnana, as it is referred to in the vedas) is accepted as capable of illuminating the nature of the absolute
the perfection of jnana is stated in BG 13.3 - To understand the distinction between the material field (ksetra - matter - the seen) and the knower of the field (ksetrajna - the knower of the field - the seer) is called knowledge (jnanam)
so of course there is a long road to travel between where ever one may be as a philosopher to the perfection of philosophy, but here are some instructions on what are advised as favourable qualities that can enable one rapid progress in philosophical inquiry
BG 13.8-12: Humility; pridelessness; nonviolence; tolerance; simplicity; approaching a bona fide spiritual master; cleanliness; steadiness; self-control; renunciation of the objects of sense gratification; absence of false ego; the perception of the evil of birth, death, old age and disease; detachment; freedom from entanglement with children, wife, home and the rest; even-mindedness amid pleasant and unpleasant events; constant and unalloyed devotion to Me; aspiring to live in a solitary place; detachment from the general mass of people; accepting the importance of self-realization; and philosophical search for the Absolute Truth — all these I declare to be knowledge, and besides this whatever there may be is ignorance.
basically reason functions through the medium of what one perceives to be natural - like for instance it is perfectly reasonable for a tyrant to assinate his opposition, it is completely reasonable for an alcoholic to spend 95% of their social security pay cheque on booze the first day they receive it etc etc.
so obviously the more one's consciousness is uncontaminated, tehmore effective the reason
In vedic literature there are three general platforms of existence called the gunas (sattva - goodness, rajas - passion, tamas - ignorance) or the three modes of material nature.
there are numerous references through out the vedas on the symptoms of adopting a world view under a mode of nature
14.6: O sinless one, the mode of goodness, being purer than the others, is illuminating, and it frees one from all sinful reactions. Those situated in that mode become conditioned by a sense of happiness and knowledge.
BG 14.7: The mode of passion is born of unlimited desires and longings, O son of Kuntī, and because of this the embodied living entity is bound to material fruitive actions.
BG 14.8: O son of Bharata, know that the mode of darkness, born of ignorance, is the delusion of all embodied living entities. The results of this mode are madness, indolence and sleep, which bind the conditioned soul.
here is a quot e that talks about different types of knowledge under the modes
BG 14.17: From the mode of goodness, real knowledge develops; from the mode of passion, greed develops; and from the mode of ignorance develop foolishness, madness and illusion.
from this we can understand that a majority of what goes down as knowledge in the name of science (and practically anything else, even religion) is under the modes of passion and ignorance (since the results of such knolwedge commonly culminate in greed, exploitation, madness, etc
Even religious activities like penance are defined according to the modes of nature
BG 17.14: Austerity of the body consists in worship of the Supreme Lord, the brāhmaṇas, the spiritual master, and superiors like the father and mother, and in cleanliness, simplicity, celibacy and nonviolence.
BG 17.15: Austerity of speech consists in speaking words that are truthful, pleasing, beneficial, and not agitating to others, and also in regularly reciting Vedic literature.
BG 17.16: And satisfaction, simplicity, gravity, self-control and purification of one's existence are the austerities of the mind.
BG 17.17: This threefold austerity, performed with transcendental faith by men not expecting material benefits but engaged only for the sake of the Supreme, is called austerity in goodness.
BG 17.18: Penance performed out of pride and for the sake of gaining respect, honor and worship is said to be in the mode of passion. It is neither stable nor permanent.
BG 17.19: Penance performed out of foolishness, with self-torture or to destroy or injure others, is said to be in the mode of ignorance.
even food is catagorized according to the modes
BG 17.8: Foods dear to those in the mode of goodness increase the duration of life, purify one's existence and give strength, health, happiness and satisfaction. Such foods are juicy, fatty, wholesome, and pleasing to the heart.
BG 17.9: Foods that are too bitter, too sour, salty, hot, pungent, dry and burning are dear to those in the mode of passion. Such foods cause distress, misery and disease.
BG 17.10: Food prepared more than three hours before being eaten, food that is tasteless, decomposed and putrid, and food consisting of remnants and untouchable things is dear to those in the mode of darkness.
many things can be defined by the three modes of nature - like I said there are numerous quotes
SB 11.25.2-5: Mind and sense control, tolerance, discrimination, sticking to one's prescribed duty, truthfulness, mercy, careful study of the past and future, satisfaction in any condition, generosity, renunciation of sense gratification, faith in the spiritual master, being embarrassed at improper action, charity, simplicity, humbleness and satisfaction within oneself are qualities of the mode of goodness. Material desire, great endeavor, audacity, dissatisfaction even in gain, false pride, praying for material advancement, considering oneself different and better than others, sense gratification, rash eagerness to fight, a fondness for hearing oneself praised, the tendency to ridicule others, advertising one's own prowess and justifying one's actions by one's strength are qualities of the mode of passion. Intolerant anger, stinginess, speaking without scriptural authority, violent hatred, living as a parasite, hypocrisy, chronic fatigue, quarrel, lamentation, delusion, unhappiness, depression, sleeping too much, false expectations, fear and laziness constitute the major qualities of the mode of ignorance. Now please hear about the combination of these three modes.
thus the conclusion is that reason, or philsophy, is more successful to the degree that it is in line with the mode of goodness (sattva guna).
Practically it is seen that everyone, from the most materially pious to the most wretched, is a mixture of these modes - the modes are constantly vying for supremacy - thus a person may think in the mode of passion, work in the mode of goodness and eat in the mode of ignorance, and the next day think in the mode of goodness, work in the mode of ignorance and eat in the mod eof passion.
Successful religiousity culminates in transcending these three modes (suddha sattva - constant goodness) - the initial platform of religiousity (transcendence) much the same as the initial platform for reason (philosophy) is the mode of goodness.
Since it is clearly stated in Bhagavad-gītā that the material modes of nature constantly rotate, one must take advantage of an elevated position in material goodness to step onto the transcendental platform. Otherwise, as the wheel of time turns one will again go into the darkness of material ignorance.
http://srimadbhagavatam.com/11/13/1/en
there is the analogy that if one wants to catch a plane, one must go to the airport (as opposed to trying to hail it from one's balcony). Similarly if one wants to approach the absolute truth/transcendence one must do so via sattva guna
actually jnana (philosophy) and bhakti (devotional service to the supreme personality of godhead) are nondifferent
when intelligence develops and remains constantly in the mind it becomes wisdom (jnana)
when wisdom, issuing with life's actions( having intergrated with it), it becomes bhakti (the perfection of religiousity)
knowledge when it becomes fully mature is bhakti
If knolwedge fails to get transformed into bhakti it is useless
to say that jnana and bhakti are different from each other is ignorance (ie symptomatic of conditioned life)
