Your World View Reveals The Real You: So Who Are You?
EVERYONE has a world view, but not everyone is aware of the one they hold. We all operate by a set of governing rules that we believe at our deepest core to be the “best” set for us. Some of us might claim to be pacifists in our praxeology yet when we are wronged, the first thing we seek to do is “fight” (either verbally, psychologically, or physically) to defend our position or worse, to “even” the score. This would demonstrate that we “think” we’re pacifists but our actions i.e. where the “rubber hits the road” would demonstrate that we more “passive aggressive” than “pacifist”.“A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh.” - Luke 6:45
- Age 18-28 is an absolutely critical time in a person’s life for solidifying their world view whether it is wrong or right
- Most life paths are chosen during ages 18-28 whether they are wrong or right.
- Know what you believe &
Definition Of A World View - From The German ‘Weltanshauung’
A diverse set of underlying principles and values which influence and/or govern one’s thoughts, motives, and actions in all of life by way of how one sees the world and himself within it.- It is the answer to “why” things happen, exist (or not exist).
- IIt answers “where” things (we) come from, what we are, and “where” they (we) are going.
- It is the motivation for one to act and to refrain from acting.
- It is the motivation for one to believe and not believe
- It is the underlying reason for emotional response: i.e. fear, peace, etc.
- It is possessed by ALL humans everywhere – despite most being unaware of the one they hold.
- It is the “big” picture of all existence to a person and the “small” picture of that person’s own corner of the world
Composition Of A World View: 8 Primary Parts
The world view chart below summarizes a person's world view by 8 primary categories: Religion, Politics, Aesthetics, Methods, Future, Ethics, Epistemology, and Metaphysics (Ontology, Cosmology, etc). We ALL hold to varying versions of these eight categorical philosophies - whether we are aware of it or not. This worldview information page is to make us more aware of what we truly believe. (larger version of the chart at the bottom)
Metaphysics – A branch of philosophy pertaining to existence, nature, and the universe - how everything got here and where it came from
Philosophy of Religion – Branch of philosophy regarding the perceived nature and existence of God or even perceived non-existence of God
Methodology – Personal view of proper behavior and actions necessary to accomplish life. Although a sub-category of moral philosophy, this pertains specifically to preferred and normative personal action
Philosophy of Politics – One’s view of proper governance of a society – how people should be managed regarding liberties, justice, authority, and legal codes of a given state - One’s preferred and normative state action and behaviour in managing society.
Ethics (Moral Philosophy) – How a person “ought to act” and of “right behaviors” themselves as they pertain to living a “proper” and “fulfilled” life - this is usually one’s view of “ideal” behaviour which can sometimes be in conflict with ones normative behaviour i.e. they may not ‘practice what they preach’
Futurology – A person’s view of the future and destination of all existence and of one’s personal existence in particular - A person’s view of the future typically impacts motivation or demotivation to live or work through difficulty, handle finances, relationships, academic preparation, taking a job, etc
Teleology - A person’s view for the purpose to life itself. i.e. follows on from one’s metaphysical views of “how” we got here by asking the question “Why are we here?” - Some may hold a subconscious variation of answering this question - even if the answer is “For no reason whatsoever” still that person holds to a personal Teleological view
Worldview Variations and Interdependence:
Although I’ve listed 8 basic, but universal philosophical categories that provide the primary composition of a person’s worldview, many of these world view categories may overlap into a category of another. i.e. Postmodernism is both a methodological and an epistemological approach to one's view of the world. Also, there are other areas which also contribute to our worldview composition such as aesthetics or subcategories like one’s cosmology. But for the most part, we can suffice it to say that with the 8 identified categories above, we will arrive at a fairly accurate representation of our worldview makeup overall.
To find out more about each of the 8 categories that make up your world view, click any of the icons below:
