Assess sociological explanations for science and ideology as a belief system
Assess sociological explanations for science and ideology as a belief system (33)
Hannah-Mae Neve 13D
Science has had an enormous impact on society over the last few centuries. The achievements in medicines have eradicated many fatal diseases; through which people have developed a large faith in science and so has become a strong belief system. However, it has been recognised that although science resolves many issues, it also creates problems. This contentious nature brought about a dimmed faith as science has created its own risks that increasingly threaten the planet such as global warming and nuclear weapons. Ideology is a worldview or a set of ideas and values. The main issues surround ideology as a belief system is that every set of beliefs is very one-sided. Each person only believes in their ideologies and is likely to be unwelcoming to any others. Consequently, friction and tension is built within society.
According to Sir Karl Popper, science is an ‘open’ belief system. An open belief system is where every scientist’s theories are open to scrutiny, criticism and testing by others. For example everyone has access to scientific information and none is kept away from the public or other scientists. Popper believes that science is governed by the principle of falsificationism whereby scientists seek to falsify existing theories by deliberate experiments that might produce information which would contradict the current theories. In Popper’s views, the growth of our understanding of the world is based on the discarding of falsified claims. Scientific knowledge is built upon as new claims arise which would mean it’s cumulative. Science as a sustainable and sturdy belief system is questionable. Despite great achievements, it isn’t possible to take the current theories as unquestionably true. For example, for centuries it was believed the sun revolved around the earth however, Copernicus falsified this knowledge-claim.
You can use science as a ‘closed’ belief
Hannah-Mae Neve 13D
Science has had an enormous impact on society over the last few centuries. The achievements in medicines have eradicated many fatal diseases; through which people have developed a large faith in science and so has become a strong belief system. However, it has been recognised that although science resolves many issues, it also creates problems. This contentious nature brought about a dimmed faith as science has created its own risks that increasingly threaten the planet such as global warming and nuclear weapons. Ideology is a worldview or a set of ideas and values. The main issues surround ideology as a belief system is that every set of beliefs is very one-sided. Each person only believes in their ideologies and is likely to be unwelcoming to any others. Consequently, friction and tension is built within society.
According to Sir Karl Popper, science is an ‘open’ belief system. An open belief system is where every scientist’s theories are open to scrutiny, criticism and testing by others. For example everyone has access to scientific information and none is kept away from the public or other scientists. Popper believes that science is governed by the principle of falsificationism whereby scientists seek to falsify existing theories by deliberate experiments that might produce information which would contradict the current theories. In Popper’s views, the growth of our understanding of the world is based on the discarding of falsified claims. Scientific knowledge is built upon as new claims arise which would mean it’s cumulative. Science as a sustainable and sturdy belief system is questionable. Despite great achievements, it isn’t possible to take the current theories as unquestionably true. For example, for centuries it was believed the sun revolved around the earth however, Copernicus falsified this knowledge-claim.
You can use science as a ‘closed’ belief