How does Mrs. Eddy treat philosophy in her writings? In both a negative and a positive way.
She definitely rejects sensuous, material philosophy. The senses, she makes clear, cannot discover truth. Materialism is false. And its sensuous philosophy accepts matter and/or evil as real, as part of the permanent scheme of things. There are other differences between Christian Science and the many and varied philosophies found in the histories; but the rejection of sense testimony, matter, and evil is sufficient to show that Christian Science is different from the various traditional Western philosophies.
If you consult the Concordances to Mrs. Eddy's writings, you will find about a score of philosophical thinkers listed. In Science and Health only one philosopher is mentioned, and that one only twice. Here Mrs. Eddy uses Socrates as a positive example of a quality or kind of thought she is recommending—in the one case, patience,See Science and Health 66:27-29; and in the other, understanding of the deathless supremacy of good.See ibid. 215:27-216:2;
