Science, religion & ideology (beliefs)

Question 1

Popper (science)

Answer 1

• argued science is an open belief system which is open to scrutiny
• governed by the principle of falsification where scientists disprove each others’ theories, creating a greater understanding through a cumulative discipline

Question 2

Merton (science)

Answer 2

• sees science as an open belief system with an ethos/ set of norms;
• communism (knowledge to be shared)
• universalism (judged by agreed data)
• disinterestedness (discover knowledge for its own sake/ objectivism)
• organised skepticism (every idea open to questioning)

Question 3

Kuhn (science)

Answer 3

• science can sometimes be a closed system, working in paradigms (set of assumptions which are not to be challenged)
• only exceptions are scientific revolutions leading to paradigm shifts

Question 4

Intelligent design (science)

Answer 4

• challenge to traditional science, theory that life or the universe can’t be arisen by chance and was designed by some intelligent entity eg God
• a pseudoscientific argument for existence of God presented with components of evidence based scientific theory

Question 5

Conflict theories (science)

Answer 5

• sees scientific knowledge as far from the truth, regard it as serving the interests of the dominant group (ruling class and men)
• science can be seen as a form of ideology

Question 6

Lyotard (science)

Answer 6

• science is another meta narrative or big story that falsifies claims to the truth

Question 7

Polanyi (religion)

Answer 7

• three devices to sustain beliefs when they are contradicted;
• circularity (explaining ideas in terms of others)
• device of the legitimacy of rivals
• subsidiary explanations

Question 8

Horton (religion)

Answer 8

• religion as a closed system, claiming to have perfect knowledge of absolute truth
• makes claims that can’t be overturned

Question 9

Mannheim (ideology)

Answer 9

• all belief systems give a one sided worldview due to class interests by either;
• ideological thought (justifies and maintains)
• utopian thought (justifies social change from view of underprivileged)
• solution; a free floating intelligentsia (free from representing one group or another and objectivity)

Question 10

Marxism (ideology)

Answer 10

• w/c must develop false class consciousness through ruling class controlling material production and production of ideas
• promote ruling class ideas justifying status quo in following ways; equality won’t work, victim blaming for poverty, racist ideas, nationalism

Question 11

Feminism (ideology)

Answer 11

• see gender inequality as the fundamental division and patriarchal ideology as a key of legitimising it
• Pauline Marks; describes how ideas from science have been used to justify excluding women from education- eg would result in them unable to suckle infants

Question 12

Anderson (ideology)

Answer 12

• a nation is an ‘imagined community’, not a real one, we identify with it but will never know most of its members–> nationalism can create a common sense of purpose

Question 13

Brexit (ideology)

Answer 13

• ‘leavers’ can be used as a form of nationalism to justifying reasons for leaving Europe (Britain can do it alone), ‘remainers’ promote the ideology that we are better off in the community of Europe

Question 14

Berger/ Luckmann

Answer 14

• universe of meaning is a socially constructed way of feeding back and producing our view of society (a particular belief system)
• requires constant legitimisation without would crumble and plausibility structure would disappear
• Western societies believe in science as a ‘this-worldy’ belief system giving many answers, while religion is another ‘other-worldy’ belief system giving comfort
• each belief system has its followers