Topic 7 - Ideology & Science*

Question 1

Science as a belief system - Popper

Answer 1

Open belief system: Open to scrutiny, criticism and testing by others.
• Falsification: Scientists actively disprove theories by looking for evidence against it - adaptation & change
• There is no absolute truth
• No knowledge is sacred as it can all be tested and questioned

Question 2

Science as a belief system - Kuhn [4]

Answer 2

Science is a closed belief system

• Based on a set of shared assumptions – a paradigm
• Education socializes into the paradigm
• Successful careers depends on working within the paradigm
• Any scientist who challenges the paradigm is likely to be humiliated

Question 3

Marxist & Feminist perspective on scientific knowledge [2]

Answer 3

• Scientific knowledge is far from pure truth

* It serves the interests of dominant groups

Question 4

Postmodernist perspectives on scientific knowledge [2]

Answer 4

• Reject the claims that science has the truth
• Lyotard: science is one of a number of meta-narratives that falsely claim to hold the truth - just another method of domination

Question 5

Merton - CUDOs norms [4]

Answer 5

Argues science can only grow w/ support from other instiutions. The CUDOs norms that govern science:

• Communism
• Universalism
• Disinerestedness
• Organised scepticism

Question 6

Dawkins - Religion as a belief system [1]

Answer 6

• Argues it’s a closed belief system - doesn’t accept criticism, doesn’t like scrutiny and doesn’t like change

Question 7

Science as an ideology

Answer 7

Science is an open belief system, whereas religious ideology is closed

Question 8

Nationalism as a political Ideology [3]

Answer 8

• Claims nations are communities that can bind millions of strangers together
• Functionalists like it as it can reinforce social solidarity
• Mx and Fm don’t like it:
  i) Used by Bourgeoisie to reinforce their ideology - Gellner states it helps ignore hardships
  ii) It’s used by men to subjugate women

Question 9

Marxism on ideology [3]

Answer 9

• Society is dominated by ruling-class ideology
• Althusser - r/c ideology is spread via Ideological state apparatus
• Gramsci - hegemonic ideology

Question 10

Feminism on ideology [+E]

Answer 10

• Society is dominated by patriarchal ideology
• Deep-rooted belief that women are inferior to men

Science: Women have been excluded from science throughout history, Oakley: ‘maternal deprivation
Religion: High-status positions are almost always male dominated - sexist practices e.g. Burkha

Evaluation: Not all religions support patriarchal authority, e.g. Buddhism has never been oppressive.

Question 11

Mannheim on Ideology [3]

Answer 11

- All belief systems have a one-sided worldview as they see the world as one group or social class
2 types of worldview
•	Ideological thought: Conservative ideology 
•	Utopian thought: Seeks social change
- Argues that all world views are partial - don’t reflect societal interests as a whole and only provide partial truth
- Solution is to detach the intellectuals from the social groups they represent – Utopian view???