Ideology and Science

Question 1

POPPER :

Science is an ‘open belief system’ as it is open to criticism and testing by others

Answer 1

MERTON - CUDOS NORMS

COMMUNISM - scientists should share knowledge to enable it to grow

UNIVERSALISM - Judged by universal criteria

DISINTERESTEDNESS - committing to discovering knowledge for its own sake

ORGANISED SCEPTICISM - Every idea is open to questioning

Question 2

HORTON :

Religion and magic are closed as they can’t be overturned

EVANS PRITCHARD - The Azande believe natural events have natural causes

Answer 2

KUHN :

Based on a set of assumptions ‘paradigm’ telling scientists what to do, what will count as evidence and what answers they should find

those that challenge it will be ridiculed

Question 3

MARXISM :

Religion produces a ruling class ideology giving ideas that justify the social set up

ABERCROMBIE - economic factors keep workers from rebelling, not ideologies e.g. fear of unemployment

Answer 3

HEGEMONY -

Working class challenge the ruling class hegemony through a dual class consciousness (ideology aswell as own experiences)

Question 4

MANNHEIM :

2 types of belief system :

Ideological - reflecting the position of the privileged, keeping things as they are

Utopian - reflects interests of the under privileged through justifying social change

Answer 4

FREE FLOATING INTELLIGENTISA

Detach people from the ideological and utopian groups , making a ‘free floating intelligentisa’ which reflects interests of society as a whole