It can be argued that each person has a unique worldview, and that one’s beliefs affect their thoughts, judgments, and actions. A worldview develops based on one’s understanding of spirituality, pluralism, scientism, and postmodernism, as these are some of the key philosophical concepts related to knowledge and perception. My personal worldview was influenced by many factors, including family traditions and academic career. The present paper will seek to introduce my worldview based on its main components.
First of all, I believe that God is the prime reality. I was born into a religious family, and thus religion and spirituality are important to me. I try to attend the church as often as I can. However, I do not think that it defines my spirituality. Personally, I believe that one’s spirituality reflects their commitment to live by God’s rules, although some people might view spirituality as an innate quality that distinguishes a person from the others. Secondly, I believe that the world around me is ever-changing. In accordance with my religion, I think that our world was created by God. However, I also feel like people’s actions have been affecting it ever since. For example, the climate change is attributable to human activity rather than God’s work.
Therefore, human beings, although created by God, are independent entities who can make choices and act based on their personal values and beliefs. I also think that people are capable of changing, adapting, and growing emotionally and spiritually. In the modern day, these changes are primarily driven by our external environment. For instance, globalization has influenced the development of pluralism, and now more and more people accept that there are different opinions on the same issue (“What is pluralism?”, 2017). Although human growth and development occur independent of God, they can be supported by religion. For example, a person might turn to religion for answers at any point in their life, and the study of religion will affect their nature and beliefs.
When one discusses worldviews, spirituality, and science, a particular question that comes to mind is “What happens to a person at death?”. From the scientific point of view, the answer to this is clear: a person’s body disintegrates, and this person no longer exists. However, if we are to consider a possibility that a person is more than just their body, it becomes much difficult to answer this question. If every person has a soul, does it die when the body dies, or is it infinite? And if the soul is infinite, does this mean that a person never really dies? I think that every person has a soul that continues to exist after the bodily death, and that there is an afterlife. Nevertheless, we may never know for sure what the afterlife is until we (or our bodies) die.
The question of knowledge and whether or not it is possible to know anything at all also allows for the plurality of opinions. For instance, according to scientism, knowledge is possible because of science and its contribution to our understanding of the world (Burnett, 2018). However, from a postmodernist perspective, there is no certain knowledge, as all information is subject to views and opinions (“Postmodernism,” n.d.). Similarly, pluralism suggests that there are multiple truths, and none of them is truer than the others. Even though we might say that we have ten fingers, people from some other countries would say that we have 20 fingers, as the word ‘fingers’ in their language applies both to fingers and toes.
In the same manner, the question of “How do people know what is right or wrong?” can be answered from multiple perspectives. However, as a religious person, I believe that we can distinguish between right or wrong actions based on our religious doctrine. Killing is ultimately wrong as it is against the fundamental rules of Christianity. Benevolent actions, such as donating to charities, are ultimately right, as they help those in need and support God’s ways.
Lastly, the meaning of human history can also be understood in different ways. To me, human history, if told to future generations and studied, can prevent people from making the same mistakes. For example, studying history can help us in preventing another world war or stop genocide before it occurs. In addition, I think that history shows the impact of people on the world, thus supporting the idea that the world around us changes in response to our actions. History can thus allow us to trace how the world has changed after critical scientific discoveries or inventions.
Overall, my worldview is primarily influenced by my religion, as well as the ideas about scientism, pluralism, and postmodernism, which I acquired throughout my studies. I would also like to note that the essential belief that influences my actions and opinions is that we can change the world around us. This belief affects my life, as it makes me consider the consequences of my actions for other people and the world as a whole. I think that my worldview enables me to grow and develop emotionally while also informing my judgment on what is right and what is wrong.
References
Burnett, T. (2018). What is scientism?
What is pluralism? (2017). The Economist.
Postmodernism. (n.d.).