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Worldview
- Thread starter Kfox
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Didn't we already do this thread?
My answer remains the same as it did in that thread:
So yes. Everybody has one.
Worldview
What is a worldview? And is this something that only applies to religious people?
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My answer remains the same as it did in that thread:
So yes. Everybody has one.
Soandso
ᛋᛏᚨᚾᛞ ᛋᚢᚱᛖ
Worldviews absolutely exist, are very personal, and are intrinsically linked to epistemology
en.m.wikipedia.org
If you want to better understand worldviews, and want to especially get to know your own and why you think in the way you do, I'd recommend looking into epistemology
Epistemology - Wikipedia
If you want to better understand worldviews, and want to especially get to know your own and why you think in the way you do, I'd recommend looking into epistemology
I looked into it, but I don't see how epistemology explains worldviews.Worldviews absolutely exist, are very personal, and are intrinsically linked to epistemology
Epistemology - Wikipedia
If you want to better understand worldviews, and want to especially get to know your own and why you think in the way you do, I'd recommend looking into epistemology
Actually I forgot I asked this question before. If I recall correctly, your claim was that each worldview is different, pretty much no two alike, but some worldviews share the same name (Christian worldview, Atheist worldview, Communist worldview; etc. etc.) So the question becomes; why would some have the same name if they are different?
"Christian" is a religious identity. "Atheist" is a theistic identity. "Communist" is a political identity. These identities were formed based on one's experiences and character traits.
A worldview is the sum of one's identities forming how one conceptualizes the world in which they live based on these identities.
So there is no such a thing as a Christian, Atheist, or Communist worldview, that those are only identities? Because those identities represent only a small percentage of what forms one's experiences and character traits; agree?
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You should probably reread what I wrote, because I have no idea where you got that identities form experiences and character. That's quite the opposite of what I said.
The assumptions made about how we can know anything - and how we know what we know - has just about everything to do with one's perspective on the nature of reality (metaphysics - another major area of philosophy essential in a worldview). In philosophical terms, one can more or less break down a worldview as being comprised of:
- That person's epistemological perspective - what they assume about how they know what they know; how they go about determining what is true from what is false; how they go about defeating skepticism to create any sort of workable body of knowledge or information
- That person's metaphysical perspective - derived from epistemological assumptions, what they assume about the fundamental nature of reality; what are the first causes or principles underlying reality; what is the nature of being (ontology); how they go about understanding what is and is not, causation, time, change, necessity, etc.
- For humans, that person's ethical perspective - derived from both epistemological and metaphysical assumptions, what they assume about how they and the world ought to be or should be; what actions and behaviors are correct or incorrect; how they go about conducting themselves on a day-to-day basis and why.
Okay; I misunderstood you; you’re saying these identities were formed based on ones experiences; and character traits; right? So if one’s (for example) christian identity is formed due to their experiences and character traits, they might also identify as a Democrat, a Socialist, an Evolutionist, and countless other identities as a result of experiences and character traits; would you agree?
Unless I'm missing something, this sounds like an explanation of how one forms their worldview, rather than what a worldview actually is.
That's a fair conclusion with the exception of "Evolutionist," because that's not really an identity. It's a pejorative made up by creationists to make them feel superior to those who are educated on and understand the theory of evolution.
Worldviews are enculturated. Their underlying facts or accuracy might be up for epistemic criticism, but I don't see how epistemology explains them.
Worldview - Wikipedia
I'm a bit confused about how you came to this, because understanding what a worldview is from a philosophical perspective really doesn't get into the how worldviews happen at all. It's all about what a worldview is - one's epistemological, metaphysical, and ethical perspectives on things. Not how one reached those perspectives. That is something explored far more by cultural anthropology, sociology, and psychology.
Soandso
ᛋᛏᚨᚾᛞ ᛋᚢᚱᛖ
Maybe this article will help to explain what epistemology has to do with worldviews. There's an entire section devoted to epistemology if you'd like to read more about it, but honestly it's just a brief overview
Your epistemology, what you believe about knowledge, affects what you accept as valid evidence and therefore what you are willing to believe about particulars. It affects the relative significance you ascribe to authority, empirical evidence, reason, intuition, and revelation. It affects how certain you can be about any knowledge and therefore what risks you will take in acting on that knowledge.
Keep in mind that epistemology only covers one aspect of how we build our worldviews, but it's the most foundational imo. Everything we think and every decision we make is based on what we think is true
So if a person identifies as (for example) a Christian when it comes to religion, a Democrat when it comes to politics, a Socialist when it comes to economics, a Vegan when it comes to diet, and a Pacifist when it comes to Militarism, how does one get a single worldview when he identifies as so many different things when it comes to such a variety of different subjects?
You mentioned assumptions an individual makes concerning how they know what they know, assumptions they make concerning the nature of reality, and how those assumptions form their ethical perspective. To me that sounds like a personal journey that might lead to a worldview rather than an explanation of what a worldview actually is
Much in the same way individual words, all which have their own definition, come together to get a single thought.
What is it that you want 'worldview' to be? If a worldview is each persons individual and unique compilations of beliefs regarding all or most aspects of life, and therefore no two worldviews will or can be identical, does that present a problem for you? What is it you are looking for?
From my perspective, one doesn’t get a worldview by identifying with those positions. It is really the other way around. One’s worldview naturally results in one identifying with those positions. For instance, if one’s anthropology or understanding of the human being (which is an aspect of one’s worldview) is that human beings are at the top while animals are for our satisfaction, one would probably not be a vegetarian or vegan.