Competing Belief Systems Flashcards
Karl Popper (1959) The growth of science
according to Popper science, unlike religion, aspires to objective and value-free.
> scientific research uses empirical evidence
> scientists welcome criticism which makes it an open belief system
> scientists repeatedly test their theories, which is a process called falsification shows scientists never 100% accept their knowledge is true.
> religion never allow promoting that their beliefs are wrong.
this is why science is a growing as a belief system that is replacing religion.
Robert Merton (1973) science
Supports Popper, science wins peoples trust more easily than religion as scientists follow the same principles when completing work, including:
Communism - meaning to share knowledge they acquire for overall knowledge to grow.
Universalism - meaning everywhere, scientists must allow other scientists to test their theories.
Disinterestedness - scientist must be committed to acquiring knowledge for its own sake, not for personal gain / recognition
Organised Scepticism - scientist never regard their knowledge as “sacred” or “special” they should freely open it to testing and criticism etc.
EVALUATION - is science really growing to dominate the worlds belief systems?
EXAMPLE - Evans Pritchard conducted study in 1920s among the Azande in Sudan, they do not consider scientific truths to even be truths at all, they see western society as trying to destroy ancient beliefs.
Thomas Kuhn (1962) Is science really an open belief system?
Kuhn dismisses Poppers views, he believes that there is little evidence to show that science is an open belief system
> scientists tend to adopt a fixed, inflexible views of looking at the world - which Kuhn refers to as a “paradigm”.
> only when evidence piles up to the point it becomes impossible to stick to an original paradigm dos “a scientific revolution” take place.
> this forces a “paradigm shift” and a new way for science to make sense
EXAMPLE -Between 1930s and 1950s, cigarette manufacturers marketed products with “doctor recommended” as science hadn’t realised the dangers of smoking. This paradigm was challenged and a scientific revolution took place, leading to a paradigm shift.
Phillip Hefner (1997)
similarities between science and religion means science will not replace religion.
> Both acknowledge that the world can be explained by “hidden forces” that need to be understood.
> Both experienced instability and people are less willing to accept at face value what “truths” are offered, people are more sceptical of both.
> Both have faults in their logic and limitations in their evidence.
the fact no single belief system dominates shows that religion, science and new ageism exist side-by-side, therefore the debate is void.
Marxist views of ideology
Marx argues a capitalist ideology exists to convince the support of powerful groups in society and convince everyone that inequality is inevitable in society.
> family, education, media and religion are powerful institutions that remind people of capitalism and that there is no alternative way.
> Marx predicts that the proletariat would see through capitalist ideology and a violent revolution would occur.
> until then the proletariat have false class consciousness which means they do nit realise how oppressed they are.
Feminist views of ideology
a patriarchal ideology exists which convinces both men and women that male power and domination is right, legitimate and inevitable.
> institutions such as the family, education and religion work to ensure women “earn their place”.
> they remind women that they are the “second sex”
> feminists must challenge ideology and creative positive, lasting change for women.
the ideology of nationalism
nationalism - pride and beliefs people hold towards their homeland, country and culture.
> functionalists like people to feel a sense of nationalism since it promotes social cohesion and therefore social solidarity.
> some sociologists feel that nationalism is an imagined feeling, also some see nationalism as an influence that misguides, misleads and is inaccurate.
EXAMPLE - Donald Trump election victory in 2017, promises to control immigration, depot illegal settlers and “make America great again” it created social cohesion etc.
Ernest Gellner (2006)
believes nationalism is a modern invention
> in the past people face-to-face interactions with one another in small scale held society together, there was no sense of belonging to a particular country like today.
> industrialisation caused this change as government started taking control of huge land, nationalism emerged as people were encouraged who might never eveb meet yo buy into the culture and values of their country.
> this is a form of manipulation and can result in people being exploited.
