Although there have been several definitions of worldview, it is evident that a world view involves a system of beliefs. It can also be defined as an individual’s perspective or attitude about the world. A worldview is a particular perception and interpretation of the world. (Hutchinson, 2013).This essay, therefore, will attempt to explain the personal worldview and answer questions relating to the personal worldview. In addition to that, it will also describe the meaning of spiritualism, pluralism, scientism, and postmodernism.
Spirituality and Philosophical Concepts
In the recent past, many theorists have argued over the meaning of Spirituality. Moreover, they have denied the existence of spirituality if health is auguring that spirituality cannot bring healing to an individual. Nonetheless, most of them have agreed to the fact that there is a significant connection between the body, soul, and mind. According to Souza et. al, (2015), spirituality involves philosophical nature behaviours such as love and hope. They assert that spirituality provides a meaning for peoples’ lives because it produces faith.
Culture is a by-product of its worldviews. This means that their values and practice are in tandem with their beliefs. Concerning religion, different societies practice what they value and believe in. However, pluralism states that all religions and cultures are correct despite their varied opinions on various aspects. My understanding of the concept of pluralism is that it accepts diversity and tries to equalize different beliefs and values.
Over the years, there have been conflicts between the Christians and scientists. Christians believe in the story of creation and that Adam and Eve first inhabited the world. On the contrary, scientists believe that human beings evolved from ape-like creatures. Scientism is a belief that real knowledge is discovered through science. (Christin, 2013).They assume that the only true way of finding facts about something is through conducting scientific research.
Postmodernism concept rejects the worldview as well as Scientism. Scientific knowledge focuses on the scientists’ perception. (Sharman, 2015).Postmodernism is defined as incredulity from traditional narratives. (Dahlern, 2012).It asserts that there should be new forms of sociological thinking and that nothing is absolute in reality.
Seven Basic Worldview Questions
What is prime reality?
A prime reality is the infinite. I believe in God who is the creator of heaven and earth.
What is the nature of the world around you?
The world around me includes all the things that God created and that includes: creatures, man, rivers, heavens and the earth.
What is a human being?
A human being is a complex machine who was created in the image and the likeness of God. I think that human beings possess unique abilities compared to other animals. For instance, they have powerful minds and are able to think independently. In other words, they are sober and unique.
What happens to a person at death?
According to my personal worldview, I believe that there is life after death and as the Bible says, God will judge each human being according to the life that one has lived. However, postmodernism does not share this view; on the contary, it believes that each individual is responsible for their lives rather than a Higher Being. On the other hand, Scientism states that there is no life after death and that death does not exist.
Why is it possible to know anything at all?
It is possible to know everything because God created us in His Image and Likeness. That means that we have similar mindsets and this makes us know things like Him. Postmodernism asserts that we can never know everything in this world. Our knowledge of the world around us is rather limited. The reasoning behind postmodernists is because the reality is not clear and therefore as human beings, we cannot know everything. In Scientism the universe knows everything, and so a human being cannot know anything.
How do people know what is right or wrong?
People are able to know what is wrong based on teachings from the Bible. The Bible articulates on instructions to follow. God clearly writes that those instructions are for us to follow and they state what is wrong and right. According to postmodernists, individuals or cultures set their own moral standards. They determine what is wrong and everyone can abide with those guidelines. When one abides by them, he is considered to be right, and on the contrary, when he does not, he considered to be wrong.
What is the meaning of human history?
The history of mankind means that people follow a certain religion and in this case, it is creation. God created human beings, and they should live for Him.
Conclusion
It is evident that my personal worldview in based in Spirituality and a firm belief in God. Pluralism, Postmodernism and Scientism do not seem to have answers to all questions. In fact, they seem to assume some of them. Therefore, it is critical that they adopt the stance of Spiritualism to find answers to all problems.
References
Christin, C. (2013). Distinguishing between science and scientism. Integral, 11(2).
Dahlern, N. (2012). The ethical foundations of postmodernity–communicative reality and relative individuals in theory and North American literature. Web.
Hutchinson, N. (2013). World views, a story about how the world works: Their significance in the Australian Curriculum: Geography. Geographical Education, 38(5), 12-26
Sharman, A. (2015). The impact of controversy on the production of scientific knowledge (No. 207). Centre for Climate Change Economics and Policy. 28(5), 19-20.
Souza, V. D. M., Frizzo, H. C. F., Paiva, M. H. P. D., Bousso, R. S., & Santos, Á. D. S. (2015). Spirituality, religion and personal beliefs of adolescents with cancer. Revista Brasileira de Enfermagem, 68(5), 791-796.