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Description
| Question | Answer |
| Critiques of Belief: | The following flash-cards are for A2 Edexcel Philosophy and Ethics. |
| Gaskin: | - Avoids using the word Atheism because of its negative connotations. -He created 5 types of unbelief. |
| 5 types of unbelief: | 1) Materialism: No supernatural realm. 2) Scepticism: Any knowledge of God is not attainable by humans. 3) Critical Unbelief: Theism is incoherent 4) Social Unbelief: Religion causes more harm than good. 5) Naturalistic explanations for belief: There is a natural explanation for the source of religious belief. |
| Russell: (Materialism) | - Claims that the material evidence does not prove the existence of God. - Fear is the basis for religious beliefs. - Science & materialism helps to defeat this fear. -Materially speaking, it is impossible for God to exist - but this is impossible to prove. |
| Ayer: (Scepticism) | - Has a sceptical view of belief. - You cannot have any belief in God because his existence cannot be proved by us as we do not have the tools to prove it. - Two types of proof that have meaning: 1: Analytic (logically true) 2: Synthetic (grounded in fact) |
| Baron d'Holbach: (Critical Unbelief) | Religion is incoherent because: 1) God was created by humans. 2) An infinite being cannot relate to a finite being. 3) God allows evil to exist. 4) The revealed word of God is incoherent. 5) God takes sides & does not remain impartial. |
| Dawkins: (Social Unbelief) | - Religious belief is not necessary. - Faith is a cop out, allowing people to evade thinking. - Religion is a virus. - Astonishing force which leads to extremism & terror . |
| Criticism of Dawkins: (Ward & MacGrath - The Dawkins Delusion) | - Criticise Dawkins for being biased towards extreme examples. - Say that he is close to fundamental atheism. - He relies too much on science. - Wilson: Dawkins is a "silly shallow scientist". |
| Durkheim: (Naturalistic explanation - Sociological) | - Religion is a "universal phenomenon". - It's one of the forces that creates a sense of moral obligation to adhere to societies' demands. - Life is a tension between the sacred (holy) and the profane (everyday stuff). - Religions = totem worshiping clans. - There is no separate entity called God. What does exist is a unified social system that owes it's being to God - do not focus on religious truths. |
| Weaknesses of Durkheim: | * Data on tribal studies is debatable. * A distinction can be made between religious communities & a belief in God. * Is the link between God & society really that strong? |
| Marx: (Naturalistic explanation - Sociological) | - "Religion is the opiate of the people". - Man created God in his image & this view then becomes embroiled in society (a reversed world consciousness). - Religion serves in society - it is a means of oppression. The ruling classes tell people why they were in the position in society they were in using religion & the working people are distracted from the real oppression. |
| Weaknesses of Marx: | * Liberation Theology relieves oppression & shows how religion and Marxism can work in the real world. * There is a far greater gap between society & the church than Marx allows for. * We have capitalism, but religion remains although there is no need for it. |
| Freud: (Naturalistic explanation - Psychological) | - Religion is a delusion, shows "obsessionality" & holds no truth. - It comes from tribes; a battle between dominant & subordinate males & as an expression of the Oedipus complex (God is a father figure & a representation of the Super Ego). - We maintain our belief to make our "helplessness tolerable". - Feuerbach: God is a projection & not true. |
| Freud's 3 Criticism of Religion: | 1) Religion is a way to overcome inner conflict. 2) Religion is a manner of coping. 3) Religion is a result of psychological impulses. |
| Weaknesses of Freud: | * Stressed that religious belief is a result of a person's relationship with their father, but Nelson & Jones found it had more to do with the mother. * Lowenthal: Projective & intrinsic religion. Freud only focused on projective (immature) religion. * Freud wanted to be objective but was biased. * Guirdham: Freud overplayed the connection between belief & psychopathologicality of organised religion. |
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