Notes: Religion & Science | Sociology Mains Optional for UPSC 2024 PDF Download

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Religion and Science 
Historical - Renaissance : Arrival of science to cause departure of religion from public sphere. 
Commonalities: 
? Understanding: Both religion and science are forms of human understanding. Both are COGNITIVE. 
? Curiosity- Both attempt to satisfy the curiosity by presenting answers to various questions put forward by 
people. 
? Cooperation: Religion is more collectively oriented than science, but science too emphasises team-spirit 
and co-operation of the scientific community. 
? Personnel: Both religion and science prescribe qualifications for their personnel. 
? Coming together- Science got legitimacy with rise of protestant ethics. 
? Wars: On many occasions in the past as well as present, in many a war, science and religion have acted 
against humankind 
 
Differences: 
? Experimentation: Science is taken on face value through experimentation whereas religion is taken on faith value 
? Precision and measurement: Science believes in precision and measurement, which is not possible for religion. 
? Application: Scientific knowledge has more concrete application in the form of technology, which might help in 
manipulating nature. Religion cannot establish such concrete and immediate results 
? Universalism: Scientific knowledge and method are valid universally, whereas principles of religious life differ from 
society to society. 
? Pritrim Sorokin- Religion based on unquestionable faith but science based on questionable thesis. 
? Religion not only cognitive but also moral. Tells right from wrong. Science makes no such attempt. 
 
Berger science played a major role in secularization of cosmos. 
 
Positivists very often tried to contrast religion with science.  
They argued that under the impact of rapid industralisation, religion was losing its ground.  
 
August Comte – theological, metaphysical and then positivistic (scientific) stage was the last in the evolution of human. 
 
Intellectualism school tries to build bridges between science and religion by propounding that religion is a reasoned or 
rational response of the individual to the natural phenomena.  
 
Weber and Marx both predicted an end of religion with time but even if science is growing we see a resurgence in religion 
in different forms.  
 
Example - A day before, when Mars Orbiter Mission was about to enter Mar’s orbit, india’s ISRO scientists offered a model 
of the artificial satellite at a temple.  
 
Thus, religion seems to be fulfilling some higher purpose for those scientists who go to temple not in position of ISRO 
scientist but in position of a human being. 
 
  
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Religion and Science 
Historical - Renaissance : Arrival of science to cause departure of religion from public sphere. 
Commonalities: 
? Understanding: Both religion and science are forms of human understanding. Both are COGNITIVE. 
? Curiosity- Both attempt to satisfy the curiosity by presenting answers to various questions put forward by 
people. 
? Cooperation: Religion is more collectively oriented than science, but science too emphasises team-spirit 
and co-operation of the scientific community. 
? Personnel: Both religion and science prescribe qualifications for their personnel. 
? Coming together- Science got legitimacy with rise of protestant ethics. 
? Wars: On many occasions in the past as well as present, in many a war, science and religion have acted 
against humankind 
 
Differences: 
? Experimentation: Science is taken on face value through experimentation whereas religion is taken on faith value 
? Precision and measurement: Science believes in precision and measurement, which is not possible for religion. 
? Application: Scientific knowledge has more concrete application in the form of technology, which might help in 
manipulating nature. Religion cannot establish such concrete and immediate results 
? Universalism: Scientific knowledge and method are valid universally, whereas principles of religious life differ from 
society to society. 
? Pritrim Sorokin- Religion based on unquestionable faith but science based on questionable thesis. 
? Religion not only cognitive but also moral. Tells right from wrong. Science makes no such attempt. 
 
Berger science played a major role in secularization of cosmos. 
 
Positivists very often tried to contrast religion with science.  
They argued that under the impact of rapid industralisation, religion was losing its ground.  
 
August Comte – theological, metaphysical and then positivistic (scientific) stage was the last in the evolution of human. 
 
Intellectualism school tries to build bridges between science and religion by propounding that religion is a reasoned or 
rational response of the individual to the natural phenomena.  
 
Weber and Marx both predicted an end of religion with time but even if science is growing we see a resurgence in religion 
in different forms.  
 
Example - A day before, when Mars Orbiter Mission was about to enter Mar’s orbit, india’s ISRO scientists offered a model 
of the artificial satellite at a temple.  
 
Thus, religion seems to be fulfilling some higher purpose for those scientists who go to temple not in position of ISRO 
scientist but in position of a human being. 
 
  
 
Science, Technology and social change: 
 
Sociology was born out of response to rise of technology (induatrial revolution) 
 
Science is systematic body of certified and changing knowledge based on observable facts and the methods used to 
acquire this knowledge. 
 
Technology is applied science. Tools tend to be much more efficient when they’re made using science. 
 
LH Morgan – One of the first to discuss role of technology. Human society passed through savagery, barbarianism 
and civilization. These 3 stages rep diff levels of tech. 
Parsons- talks about change in information flow or energy flow in the system. Change in energy flow is a result of 
change in technology. 
 
Leslie White tried to explain process of social evolution in terms of technology.  
Has 3 components techno-economic, organisational and ideational.  
Said culture changes due to change in tech.  
Primitive man used muscular energy but now its more mental. 
William Ogburn every technological innovation when absorbed by society needs a support system. To absorb 
automobile education system, family system, occupational system undergoes change.  
Chain reaction/domino effect. 
 
Change in demographics with rise of tech. 5 stages of demographic transition 
 
Gender equality and technology-easier for women participation & emancipation (services sector) 
 
Education seen as a form of investment 
 
Ecology and environment. 
 
Work and leisure undergoes change.