Ideology, Science and Religion

Closed System (Religion)

A belief system where knowledge is sacred and cannot be challenged.

Open System (Science)

A system where knowledge is provisional, open to challenge, and potentially disprovable.

Heresy

Beliefs or opinions viewed as provocative, often against established religious beliefs.

Circular Argument (Religion)

An argument that restates its premise without providing proof, such as 'I know God exists because I believe in God'.

Universalism (Science)

The principle that scientific knowledge is judged by objective criteria, regardless of the scientist's background.

Disinterestedness

A commitment to discovering knowledge for its own sake, minimizing conflicts of interest in science.

Organized Scepticism

The scientific principle that no knowledge claim is considered sacred and is open to questioning.

Postmodernism

A philosophical approach that critiques metanarratives, including those of science and religion.

Paradigm

A set of shared assumptions that shape dominant scientific thought and actions within a scientific community.

Feyerabend's View on Science

Claims that science is not as open as it claims and that individual scientists often deviate from established rules.

Kuhn's Concept of Paradigms

Challenges the openness of science, suggesting that scientists work within established frameworks that can resist new ideas.

Lyotard on Metanarratives

Argues that science and religion are metanarratives that falsely claim to possess the ultimate truth.

Subjective Experience (Religion)

The idea that individuals interpret religious experiences and texts differently, leading to varied beliefs.

Salman Rushdie

An author who was considered a heretic for writing 'The Satanic Verses', conflicting with Islamic teachings.

Galileo's Heresy

He was deemed a heretic for claiming that the Earth revolves around the sun, contradicting religious beliefs.

New Age Movements

Alternative belief systems that have emerged as critiques of traditional metanarratives in religion.

Scientific Knowledge Sharing

The practice that requires scientists to publish findings so that knowledge can grow within the scientific community.

Scientific Revolution

A period where new ideas replace old ones in science, often prompted by evidence that contradicts the prevailing paradigm.

Critique of Science in Postmodern Age

The viewpoint that science can create problems and is not always a source of truth.

Scientific vs. Religious Beliefs

Scientific claims are tested against evidence and are perceived as more objective compared to religious beliefs.