Different theories of ideology, science and religion Flashcards
What is the substantive definition of religion?
Concerned with the content of religion
Traditional organised religion
Substance what makes religion
(Christianity, Islam, other world religion)
What are the advantages of the substantive definition of religion?
Conforms to a wide spread view of religion as a belief in god
What are the disadvantages of the substantive definition of religion?
Leaves no room for beliefs and practices that perform similar functions but do not involve belief in god
Western bias - excludes religions such as Buddhism which do not have the Western idea of God
What is the functional definition of religion?
Looks at the functions being performed within religion
Provides a moral framework or integrates a community
Don’t have to refer to God or any idea of afterlife
What are the advantages of the functional definition of religion?
Inclusive definition - includes wide range of beliefs and practices that perform functions such as integration
No bias against non-Western religions
What are the disadvantages of the functional definition of religion?
Unclear where the line of religion is drawn
Waters down and undermines sacred nature of religion
What is science a belief system?
Possible to understand natural world and produce truthful knowledge
Influence and shaping society as scientists
Beliefs based on the community they are part of
Constructed through a paradigm
What are some examples of a science belief system?
Darwin: theory of evolution
Einstein: relativity
What did Gomm say about Darwin’s theory of evolution?
He supported Darwin’s theory
It fitted ideology of emergence of capitalism
What is the ideology belief system?
Belief system that supports the interests of a particular social group at the expenses of others
Used to maintain power of a dominant group in society
Meta-narrative becomes way of explaining world
What are some examples of ideology belief systems?
Marxism
Feminism
Postmoderism
What is the religious belief system?
Belief in existence of a supernatural entity
May or may not claim the existence of a supreme god or several gods
Gives followers lives meaning and moral guidance
What are some examples of religious belief systems?
Churches: Christianity, Islam
Sects: People’s temple, Branch Davidians
Denominations: Baptist, Methodist, Mormons
What is fascism?
Nazi Germany
Interests of the state should be paramount
Required leadership of an authoitarian dictator who pursued interests of the nation
What is Neo-Liberalism?
Private enterprise is the best way to run society
Competition drives efficiency
Ensures consumers needs are met
What is a monotheistic religious?
Belief in a single god
Christianity, Islam
What is a polytheistic religion?
Belief in several gods
What is an example of a polytheistic religion?
Zoroastrianism
What is a spiritual religion?
Without belief in god
Buddhism: set of values
What are supernatural beliefs?
No concept of god
Scientology, Heavens day cult
What is a political belief system?
Makes claims about how society should be organised
Don’t have supernatural element
What is the economic base?
Includes the means of production and is controlled by the ruling class
What is the superstructure?
Includes all the non-economic parts of society (state, mass media, education, religion)
How is the dominant ideology reproduced through the mass media?
Capitalism as only viable economic system
Consumer culture
Passive workforce
What does Neo-Marxist WILLIAMS say about class and ideology?
Ruling class has a more individualistic culture Working-class culture is more collectivist
What did Neo-Marxist GRAMSCI say about dual consciousness?
Members of society possess dual consciousness
Partly influenced by R/C ideology because of the media, education system and religion
Can have direct experience of exploitation
W/C partly see through capitalist system while not rejecting it altogether
What does the Glasgow media group say about marxism?
Number of studies show how media has a consistent pro-capitalist bias
What does radical feminist GREER say about ideology?
The patriarchal ideology is entrenched in society
Reflected in the way women are expected to improve their physical appearance to attract men
What does radical feminist MILLET say about ideology?
Men are socialized into having a dominant temperament by society’s culture
Non-ideological factors such as violence also play a part in maintaining male dominance
What does feminist BENSTON say about ideology?
The ideology which sees women as secondary wage earners, benefits both male power and capitalism
What is discourse analysis?
The study of how spoken and written language is used
How people exercise power by writing, thinking and talking about something in a certain way - reveals their ideologies
How do discourse analysists view views in society?
Ideology –> inequality –> dominant group
[Meta-narrative: inequality –> dominant group –> ideology
What did postmodernist LYOTARD argue about modernity metanarratives?
[fascism, communism, scientific rationalism]
They aimed to improve the world but ended in disaster
Postmodern society people no longer believe in metanarratives and ideology is declining
What was the Enlightenment?
Emergence of scientific rationalism
Critical questioning of traditional institutions, customs and morals
Move to certainty and truth, provides understanding of the world, understanding used for the betterment of humankind
What does COMTE say about science?
Not a matter of opinion
Independent of individual’s beliefs
Rely on evidence, tested through research
Objective social facts about the world
What did COMTE say about the 3 stages society passed through to progress towards scientific knowledge?
Theological stage (pre-18th century): religious beliefs dominant
Metaphysical stage (18th century): Used rationality to decide what to believe, how to behave
Positive stage (19th century on): Science dominant belief system (testing to prove)
What did POPPER say about the theory of falsification?
Can never be 100% certain that a theory is true
Science based on falsifiable theories - made precise predictions that could be tested, always possibility that it will be proved wrong in the future
Sociology could not be falsified
Must have testable hypothesis
What is relativism?
There are many beliefs in society: science is just one of them
Science has no more claim on truth that any other belief
Science cannot be entirely value free or objective (according to relativists)
What does GOULD say about rationalism VS relativism?
Science and religion are 2 separate realms
Non-overlapping magisterium
What does KAPLAN say about social constructions?
Science influenced by desires of scientists themselves
Reconstructed logic (methods claim to use) VS logic in use (ones actually used)
What did GOMM say about Darwin’s theory of evolution?
Theory was accepted as the social context of Victorian Britain (capitalism) welcomes the ideas of natural selection and survival of the fittest
Allowed Victorian Britons to see themselves as superior to the people in conquered colonies
What did KUHN say about social constructions and science?
Challenged the traditional view of science
Scientists worked in communities centred on particular branches of science
Tunnel vision with science
How does the USA appreciate both science and religion?
Most religious of the advanced industrial democracies
American scientists = leaders in world of discovery
Many Americans still reject science in favour of Bible
What does LYOTARD believe about postmodernism and science?
Science is just another metanarrative with no more validity than other metanarratives
Science is not different from any other belief system
No one belief system is superior to others
