Introduction
The views on such important questions as the purpose of life vary from one person to another and are formed according to one’s individual beliefs. Christianity explains all issues associated with ethics and morality in the context of the Bible and through the idea of God. This essay will discuss the approaches to explaining ethics and morality, and answer philosophical questions, according to the personal worldview.
Spirituality
Spirituality is a search for the meaning of life and its purpose. Christians believe that it can be achieved through faith. According to the religion, humans should practice Christianity in building relationships with others and themselves to achieve spirituality (Bogue & Hogan, 2020). Postmodern relativism sees spirituality as one’s personal choice influenced by different factors. It states that all ideas about truth are subjective and impacted by personal experience, opinions, culture, and society.
Ethics
Ethics is a study of what is right and what is wrong. This philosophy is also concerned with the questions of morality, and Christian practice views moral behavior through the standards of God. In Christianity ethics is a concept that is studied in the context of what God believes to be right or wrong (Bogue & Hogan, 2020). The Bible reveals the moral conceptions of God and His standards.
Postmodern relativism states that it is impossible for a human to objectively know what is right or wrong. Within healthcare, the difference between Christian and postmodern-relativist worldviews is witnessed in ethical dilemmas. For example, Christians argue for the amorality of euthanasia, whereas postmodern relativists see it as the patient’s choice (Bogue & Hogan, 2020). Therefore, postmodern relativism opposes the Christian perspective, which states that the Bible outlines objective truth about morality.
Scientism
Scientism is another philosophy that challenges the ideas of Christianity. It believes that science is the only source of knowledge about the reality of human existence (Bogue & Hogan, 2020). Scientism suggests that what is not empirically determined cannot be known by humans or that it does not exist at all (Bogue & Hogan, 2020). It studies what humans can objectively understand about the world based upon their scientific knowledge.
Although scientism relies on empirical data, there are objections against it. One problem examines the fact that science has certain limits. Bogue and Hogan (2020) state that science is not the only way of obtaining information. Scientism cannot provide answers to moral questions, because they cannot be scientifically determined (Feser, 2010). Research does not tell how to apply its findings in the context of ethics. It relies on humans to decide on the moral implications of science.
Another issue is the ability to understand this philosophy from a scientific point of view. Scientism is self-refuting, meaning that its theory is contradictory (Bogue & Hogan, 2020). Strongly relying on the knowledge gained from science, scientism fails to provide the scientific proof for its existence, however, it doubts beliefs that are not based on empirical data. This questions scientism’s credibility as a reliable philosophy.
Ultimate Reality
Ultimate reality is one of the primary concerns of the human mind. All individuals have different opinions about what ultimate reality is for them. For example, Christians shape their ideas about its meaning around their religious beliefs seeing God as the foundation for their existence, whereas atheists might find the answer in the human consciousness (Bogue & Hogan, 2020). There is no one particular solution to what ultimate reality is. Instead, it is based upon the humans’ faith, culture, society, or opinions.
The Nature of the Universe
The question of the nature of the universe is rooted in one’s beliefs regarding their ultimate reality conceptions. According to Bogue and Hogan (2020), atheists might “see the universe solely as natural matter” (para. 69). Religious people consider human existence as consisting of both natural and spiritual worlds (Bogue & Hogan, 2020). The nature of the universe is determined by scientific forces, and each individual decides for themselves whether this is influenced by the presence of God.
A Human Being
A human being is a result of evolution caused by natural forces. Christianity believes that human life is not limited to actual existence (Bogue & Hogan, 2020). However, it is impossible to know what happens to people after they die, and, therefore, it is difficult to make assumptions about it. To believe in the afterlife or some other form of a human soul’s continued existence, one has to be atheist. Non-religious people base their opinions on the nature of human beings primarily upon known facts and, therefore, explains this concept from a scientific point of view.
Knowledge
Knowledge is the basis that humans use to form their opinions and understand how to act in a particular situation. Bogue and Hogan (2020) suggest that knowledge is all the information about the world and humanity, as well as the understanding of moral and ethical concepts, that are used to guide human behavior. The two requirements for knowledge are the truth of the information learned and the belief in it (Pritchard, 2018). Christians obtain knowledge from two sources: the natural world, which provides scientifically proven information, and the Bible which discusses the concepts of moral and ethical knowledge. However, this does not align with the two requirements that Pritchard (2018) outlines. The information in the Bible is not factual, and it requires faith to consider it truthful. Therefore, knowledge is subjective, as religious and secular persons consider different sources for information that help them gain knowledge.
Basis of Ethics
The basis of ethical conceptions varies from person to person. According to Wahlman-Calderara and Meurman (2018), ethics is a study of moral philosophy, and it is concerned with what is right or wrong. The critical notion of ethics is to not harm others, which is a concept outlined in the Hippocratic Oath (Wahlman-Calderara & Meurman, 2018). This idea is important as a necessary constituent of caring, which is the fundamental basis of healthcare. Medical professionals should understand the importance of an ethical approach and incorporate it into their daily work. However, the understanding of what is ethical and what is not is subjective. Therefore, the right actions to take should be decided by those people, whom the particular situation directly concerns and who will bear its consequences.
The Purpose of Human Existence
For centuries, humans have been preoccupied with the question of the purpose of one’s existence. These musings can follow humans all through their lifetimes, and one might never come to any conclusion. For those searching, there are multiple options to tackle this concern of the human mind. Some see the answer in God and accept His standards to live by them. They find meaning in God and choose to practice Christianity or other religions. However, there is no specific explanation of what the purpose of life is that can be shared by a diversity of people. It is a subjective uncertainty of the human experience and should be resolved by each individual independently. From an atheist perspective, life has no particular meaning and any purpose that one chooses for themselves which does not harm other people can be considered valid (Bogue & Hogan, 2020). Simply speaking, the purpose of life is to find something, may it be religion or occupation or any other form of activity that incorporates a love for humanity.
Conclusion
As examined in the essay, there are no specific answers to philosophical concerns because these issues are subjective and can be addressed differently depending on each worldview. However, it is important to ethically approach these questions by not harming others. Furthermore, each worldview should be respected as it should be understood that every person has a right to believe in what they choose.
References
Bogue D. W., & Hogan M. (2020). Foundational issues in Christian spirituality and ethics. In Grand Canyon University (Ed), Practicing dignity: An introduction to Christian values and decision making in health care. Web.
Feser E. (2010). Blinded by scientism. Public discourse. Web.
Pritchard, D. (2018). What is this thing called Knowledge? (4th ed.). London and New York: Routledge.
Wahlman-Calderara, T., & Meurman, J. H. (2018). Ethics in biomedical research. Translational oral health research, 159-168. Web.