Sociology
Study Notes
Belief Systems
- Level:
- AS, A Level
- Board:
- AQA, Edexcel, OCR, Eduqas, WJEC
Last updated 8 Jul 2018
A belief system is any set of ideas and beliefs that people use to make sense of the world around them.
Traditionally, people made sense of the world through supernatural explanations whereas today (some argue) it is more common to understand the world based on scientific evidence while others put their faith in both religious and non-religious ideologies.
Karl Popper differentiated science from religion on the basis that religion was a closed belief system while science was an open belief system. What he meant by this was that religion claimed a monopoly on the truth accepting no criticism or opportunity for development. Religion was based on doctrine and to challenge that was sacrilege or blasphemy.
On the other hand, for Popper, science was an open belief system as it constantly opened itself up to criticism and testing and constantly sought to discover new knowledge.
You might also like
Defining Ideology
Student Videos
Why It's So Hard to Leave a South Korean Fringe Church
25th June 2021
Catholic church cannot bless same-sex unions, Vatican decrees
25th March 2021
Veganism
14th December 2018
Science and Religion: Compared
Study Notes
Podcast: Ways to Change the World
30th November 2020
Measuring Religiosity
Study Notes
Recommended

AQA A-Level Sociology Grade Booster 2022
Student Revision Workshops
Join our experienced presenters for a day of fast-paced revision & essential exam technique advice on the big cinema screen – supported by online help all the way though to your final exam paper.