Beliefs In Society - Belief And Ideology Flashcards
(17 cards)
Religion as a closed belief system
They often suggest that they know the truth about the world and don’t tolerate those that criticise that truth.
They can be very conservative in their beliefs and not wish to change.
Science as a closed belief system
Kuhn - science is a closed belief system as it runs of paradigms. Which shape the way that the discipline is defined and understood as well as how research is carried out.
As this is accepted by the majority it is very hard to change.
Religion is an open belief system
Open system when open to change.
Herberg - some religions are open to change and have diluted their belief systems in order to maintain relevance in modern society.
Refers to this process as internal secularisation and uses the acceptance of female Bishops into the Church of England as an example.
Science as an open belief system
Popper believes science is an open system because it’s open to challenge and it is built upon the idea of falsification.
If a theory is proven wrong it’s replaced and the knowledge within the discipline grows.
Polanyi- self sustaining beliefs
In order to protect themselves from challenge closed systems such as religion have 3 main tendencies.
3 main tendencies of closed systems:
- Denial of legitimacy.
- Subsidiary explanations.
- Circularity.
Denial of legitimacy
Complete rejection of the claims of rivals to convince followers that they alone hold the truth.
Subsidiary explanations
Get out clauses to explain away criticisms or deflect the arguments.
Circularity
Each idea within the system is explained in terms of another idea within the system.
Case study - Azande and Witchcraft
Evan’s Pritchard:
Studied the Azande tribe and shows how their belief system reflects the characteristics of a closed system.
Their belief in witchcraft causing misfortune and the proof coming from a ‘benge’ potion given to chickens seems irrational to outsiders but is indoctrinated into the tribe and no one questions it.
What is a belief system?
A set of theories and realities about the world that a person believes to be true.
It includes religious beliefs, morals and what one defined right or wrong.
Ideologies refer to the political, social and economic ideas that help define a particular group of people.
Marxism - Gramsci, Marx, Althusser
All ideologies including science and religion are a tool of the ruling class to maintain power and reproduce inequality.
The justify the principles of capitalism and prevent the proletariat revolution.
Marxists argue that major scientific discoveries are motivated by generating mass profits and only fuels capitalism further.
Feminism - Oakley
Believes ideologies such as science and religion have promoted the patriarchy for generations.
For example by blocking women from positions of power or tainting them as weak/ impure.
Oakley - a good example of science acting as an ideology is Bowlby’s study of maternal deprivation she suggests that this idea that children’s development is damaged by working mothers has been used to justify gender inequality in the workplace and reinforced the patriarchal idea of women staying at home and men as the breadwinner.
Postmodernism/ Pluralism
Multiple ideologies within society and they reflect the values and world views of different social groups within that society’s.
There is no dominant ideology but a sharing of power amongst them.
This is a contradiction as plural is itself is declaring dominance.
Also ignored the unequal distribution of power within society.
Mannheim
Claims that all world views are ideologies and are the product of the theologians and intellectuals that can’t relate to the everyday, so their idea reflect their own personal interests.
Mannheim two types of worldview:
- Ideological thought - justifies tradition and the maintenance of society thus resisting change. This is because those who control the ideology are benefitting from the status quo.
- Utopian thought - attempts to promote social change because the current state of the world doesn’t benefit those who construct utopian belief systems.
What does Mannheim argue we need to detach from?
World views and create an objective world view that all can relate to.
Ideas would be created by a ‘free floating intellgensia.’
