Beliefs - science as a belief system

What is a belief system?

something which explains how the world works

What did Dixon say about religion and science?

until 200 years ago they weren’t separated and the purpose of science was to show the glory of God

What happened during the enlightenment?

switch to rational processes based on empirical evidence and religious beliefs were superseded by scientific ones

What did Joshep Lister create?

antiseptic surgery which went against religious beliefs about infection

What are the two kinds of beliefs systems?

open and closed

Why is science a open belief system?

it is based on empirical evidence, open to scrutiny and tested to check validity

Why has science grown to the main belief system according to Popper?

it can be challenged

Why is religion a closed belief system?

it cannot be challenged as you cannot find evidence for God and it teaches obedience

What are the norms of science according to Merton?

communism, universalism, disinterestedness, organised scepticism

What is communism in terms of science?

knowledge is shared and not private

What is universalism?

scientists are all equal and are judged only by their work

What is disinterdness?

publish honest findings which are not subjective or fraudulent

What is organised scepticism?

all knowledge should be challenged and scrutinised

Why does Kuhn argue that science is actually a closed belief system?

it is based on paradigms which cannot be challenged