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Sociology P2- Beliefs > Ideology, science and religion > Flashcards

Ideology, science and religion Flashcards

1
Q

What are beliefs?

A

Ideas about things we hold to be true

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2
Q

What are religious beliefs?

A

Belief in supernatural powers or forces of some kind
- deal with ideas about fundamental issues of human existence, meaning/purpose of life, what happens after we die
- spirit or life force either within ourselves or watching over us

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3
Q

What is ideology?

A

Ideology refers to a set of ideas, values and beliefs that provide a means of interpreting the world and represents the outlook and justifies the interests of a social group

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4
Q

What are 4 common forms of ideology?

A

1- pluralist ideology
2- Marxism: dominant ideology and hegemony
3- patriarchal ideology
4- political ideology

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5
Q

What is pluralist ideology?

A

No single person has power, reflects a broad range of social interests
- none has any claim to be the only right way of seeing the world
- no single dominant ideology

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6
Q

What do Marxists mean by dominant ideology and hegemony?

A

DI- set of ideas and beliefs held by the most powerful groups/RC
Hegemony- DI maintains its power by persuading other social classes, adopt RC ideology
Althusser- through ISA- law, religion, media

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7
Q

What is patriarchal ideology?

A

Set of ideas that supports and justifies the power of men
- educations, workplace, family

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8
Q

What is political ideology?

A

Provides and interpretation of how society should work and how government should use their power
- may be broad like fascism or communism

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9
Q

What is scientism?

A

Suggests scientific method provides the only means of gaining true knowledge
- most scientists do not subscribe to scientism many do not accept that science is the only means of understanding the world

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10
Q

What is the point in falsifying a hypothesis instead of providing it to be true?
POPPER

A

A hypothesis can never be proven true, it can only be proven false
- there is always a possibility of a further exception meaning it can never be fully true

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11
Q

What is a paradigm?

A

Like a pair of coloured lenses through which scientists look at the world
- colour their views of the nature of the problem or problems to be investigated, the approved methods to tackle them and what should count as proper, relevant scientific evidence

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12
Q

How do paradigms relate to scientific testing?

A

The power of a paradigm may mean scientists focus on what they’re looking for and dismiss anomalies as experimental errors or freak conditions
- results are fitted to the theory

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13
Q

What is a scientific revolution?

A

When science changes in dramatic leaps
- a paradigm breaks down many anomalies that don’t fit theory so a new one is created

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14
Q

Why can researchers career aspirations lead to research being less objective that what it might claim to be?

A

Their interests change how they study a topic, what topic they study, what results they choose to include

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15
Q

Why might we class science as an ideology?

A

Researchers/scientists often protect favoured theories and fit their findings. They do not always pursue evidence ruthlessly

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16
Q

What are the 3 way of defining religion?

A

1- Substantive
2- Functional
3- Constructivist

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17
Q

Substantive explanation

A

Religion should have
- beliefs, theology, practise, institution, consequence
- looks at the content or substance of RB
- belief in superior/supernatural power
Weber- beliefs must relate to God or supernatural
-Islam and Christianity fit into this ‘belief in god’

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18
Q

Supportive sociologists for the substantive definition

A

Robertson
- religion refers to the existence of supernatural beings thata have a governing effect on life
Bruce
- religion is beliefs, actions, institutions which assume the existence of supernatural entities

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19
Q

Evaluation of the substantive definition of religion

A

X too exclusive based on a belief of god would exclude Buddhism
X too inclusive, belief in fate, UFOs, magic might be included as religious

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20
Q

Functional explanation

A

Defines religion by the social or psychological functions it performs for individuals
- encourage social cohesions/collective conscience (Durkheim) without necessarily including supernatural beliefs
- very broad definition

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21
Q

Supporting sociologists for the functional definition

A

Yinger
- defines religion as a ‘system of beliefs and practises’ by means of which a group of people struggles with the ultimate problems of human life

22
Q

Evaluation of the functional definition of religion

A
  • embraces a wide range of beliefs and practises that perform functions
  • doesn’t specify a belief in God or supernatural Western bias is reduced
    X Institutions performing functions are not necessarily religious- integration, e.g. chanting at a football match
23
Q

Constructivist explanation

A

Interpretivist sociologists
- so many different types of religion, impossible to come up with a single, undisputed definition
- process by which a set of beliefs become recognised as a religion and who has power to determine whether something is a religion or not is interesting

24
Q

Supporting sociologists for constructivists definition of religion

A

Aldridge
- scientology is a religion for its followers but several governments have tried to ban it questioning its status as a religion
- shows religion can be contested and influenced by those with the power to define the situation

25
Q

Evaluation of the constructivist definition

A
  • doesn’t assume religion has to involve a belief in god
  • uncover meaning people give to religion
    X impossible to generalise about the nature of religion- no agreement on the meaning
26
Q

What was Giddens ‘general’ definition of religion?

A

Religion also offers a vision of and means of understanding, interpreting and explaining the world
- unlike ideology, RB are not necessarily tied to the interests of a particular group
- ‘shared beliefs and rituals that provide a sense of ultimate meaning and purpose by creating an idea of reality that is sacred, all-encompassing and supernatural’

27
Q

What did Giddens say are the 3 main aspects of religion?

A

1- Belief in the spiritual/supernatural person, entity or other extra-worldly spiritual force, which ultimately provides a sense of meaning and a means of interpreting and explaining the world
2- Faith on the part of believers- a strong sense of trust n conviction in a person or entity, which is not based on observable, testable, or falsifiable evidence
3- A body of unchanging truth- fundamental n unchangeable beliefs, Christ being the son of God, new discoveries are fitted into these existing frameworks

28
Q

What is science?

A

No universally agreed definition
- knowledge rather than belief

29
Q

Science

A

Open belief system
- subject to falsification and testing
- independent of state/government

30
Q

Religion

A

Closed belief system
- accepted on blind faith
- often closely linked to the state

31
Q

Why does Popper refer to science as an open belief system?

A

Scientific research is open to scrutiny, questioning and criticism

32
Q

How does functionalist Merton support Popper?

A

Institution of science follows these norms
Communism- share findings
Universalism- everyone can do science, should be scrutinised
Disinterested- detached from ideological bias
Os- Organised scepticism- use of objective criteria

33
Q

Why does Horton call religion a closed belief system?

A

Assert an all-embracing and unchanging body of belief and make claims that cannot be disproved
- any evidence or challenge to a belief is either dismissed by followers or explained in a way that makes it fit into the existing belief

34
Q

What is Polyani’s concept of ‘circularity of belief’?

A

Empirical evidence of God isn’t needed in the same way it is for science as it is based on faith
- explaining beliefs with further closed aims
- god will provide u with faith, how can u prove god exists, you must have faith, how can u have faith without evidence

35
Q

How can we argue science is more of a closed system than suggested?
Kuhn

A

If a new theory or explanation is given that challenges ‘firmly acceptable truths’, then it is dismissed and rejected as unscientific meaning
- it is still hard to challenge science as it exists as part of a paradigm

36
Q

How could we argue religion is more of an open system than suggested?
Kuhn

A

Some religious organisations have changed their position on certain issues e.g. changing attitudes towards sexual orientation, allowing women to become priests

37
Q

How does the state impact religion and science?

A

Religion is more independent as it is no longer closely linked with the state/government
- often government scientists and scientific advice on health issues, pushed forcefully through the state and law, less independent]- funding and gov control

38
Q

What are rationalists?

A

Those who believe that science has allowed us to discover real knowledge about the world, and assert that religion has no claim on the truth at all

39
Q

What are relativists?

A

Believe that science and religion are totally separate
- science provides certain knowledge, whereas religion has a responsibility for moral guidance
Both science and religion are equally valid

40
Q

What is creationism?

A

The belief that life and the universe were created by a supernatural being (an intelligent designer), an omnipotent, benevolent God

41
Q

What is evolution?

A

The process by which different kinds of living organisms developed and diversified from earlier forms during the history of the Earth
- life on earth evolved from one universal common ancestor

42
Q

What is 1 difference between creationism and evolution?

A

C is not scientific because the intelligent designer POV cannot be tested to prove or disprove accuracy
E is scientific, theory can be tested and proved to be false, based on evidence

43
Q

What is creationism based on?

A

Based on Primate anatomy
- humanity was directly created by God

44
Q

What ahs most support creationism or evolution?

A

C- 46%
E- 35% theistic
- 15% evolution without God

45
Q

What do supporters of intelligent design argue?

A

That divine intervention led to something that may appear like evolution

46
Q

How has religion responded to science?

A

Many religious people settle for a combination of evolution and creationism
- this is called the intelligent design

47
Q

What is intelligent design?

A

The belief that evolution occurred but it has been guided by a supreme being or God

48
Q

How do NAMs use science to justify their spiritual beliefs?

A

Astrology claims the position of planets and stars (astronomy-factual) influence our personality and mood (unproven)

49
Q

Has science replaced religion?
BRUCE

A

Argues the scientific method challenges religion as a belief system
- mostly happened after modernity
- people want evidence-based cause and effects

50
Q

Has science replaced religion?
POPPER

A

Approach of falsifiability
- science might be expected gradually to displace religion as there is no evidence to prove/disprove that any religion is true

51
Q

Science is taking over religion

A

This idea has not happened, continue to have extraordinary power over human behaviour

Sociology P2- Beliefs (14 decks)

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