Philosophies that are almost like religions?

[catographer]

Might be beneficial to differentiate the two before getting too deep into a conversation.

The most defining aspects of religion seem to be that it features a well-developed cosmology, soteriology and eschatology.   

Not always. And really, finding the distinction between them still isn't agreed after centuries/millennia. I'll just list what I considered to be the main religions of the world, and some subcategories that are sometimes lumped in (the last one being the nonreligious philosophies this thread is about).


The main religions in the world are
1. Hinduism (from India) - bhakt/jnana/karma yoga, moksha/liberation from mental & spiritual obstacles to the ultimate truth, you are the universe, you already have what you really want
2. Buddhism (from India) there is no you, no universe, all temporary, let go
3. Sikhism (from India) just one path to God, be loving
4. Jainism (from India) just one path to God, be nonviolent and renounce possessions
5. Christianity (from Israel) - One God, but God is in us, God is love, God is self-knowledge, Jesus says love each other
6. Judaism (from Iraq/Egypt/Israel) - love God, love each other, good habits
7. Taoism (from China) - attune with nature, live in "the flow"
8. Confucianism (from China) - focus on relationships, focus on teaching/learning good habits and treating each other well
9. Islam (from Arabia) - One God, submit to God, treat others well, good habits
10. Zoroastrianism (from Persia/Iran) One God, good versus evil, good triumphs, all will be saved
11. Baha'i (from Persia/Iran) Unity of Religions/Humanity

- plus "Folk Religions" (Shinto in Japan, Shenism in China, Native American folk religion, African folk religion, Aboriginal folk religion, some remnants in the Middle East, the ancient Norse/Greek/Egyptian/Celtic/Finnish/Slavic/Baltic religions)... they all have a lot in common... nature being "alive" and having spirits, the spirits of ancestors... many godlike beings, connected to nature, but who are usually said to just be closer to more advanced/powerful race with a distant but good All-Father/Earth-Mother/Great-One-Good/etc. behind it all

- new religious movements, like Wicca, Satanism(NOT the same as Wicca), Tenrikyo in Japan, Falun Gong in China, Church of Scientology, Caodoism in Vietnam founded in 1926, and the religion that worships the Kim family in North Korea.... and a few others... but not really major status yet (and not really much in common... Tenrikyo and Caodoism and Falun Gong are, from what I know, similar to existing major religions... while Wicca is something else, more like an old nature-based Folk Religion... and Scientology and Satanism are completely something else, like for-profit Jungian psychology for Scientology and objectivist self-worship for Church of Satan)

- nonreligious philosophies (mostly from the Greeks, though some would include Taoism and Confucianism in this) like Stoicism, Epicureanism, Pythagoreanism, Cynicism, Cyrenaicism, Platonism, Neoplatonism, Peripateticism, Pyrrhonism (mostly about whether to accept life and find happiness in all things no matter what, or find tranquility through moderation and self-discipline and simple-living in tune with nature/reason/compassion, or to chase pleasure as the highest value, etc.)

Worth pointing out that Daoism involves literal magical spells and immortality.

No, only for some branches of Taoism, not all. Philosophical Taoism, like the ideas found in Taoism's main books including the Tao Te Ching, could even be said to be opposed to those kinds of beliefs.

I like your quick run-down of the philosophies of world religions. Obviously it's incomplete and simplistic, but I'd like to say how I think your summary basically epitomizes why I like religion and why there aren't actually religions of "peace" or "violence." All religions preach their own versions of the same things: do good, be good, love, peace, compassion, etc. There isn't any religion (at least any popular religion) that preaches hating others, being violent, being evil, etc. It doesn't make sense anthropologically (in terms of how human belief systems evolved) to have a religion that isn't conducive to pro-social behavior and the growth of human civilization.