MarkBenoza

WaysofKnowing

10/8/2014

MyWorldview

Worldviews:AVastUnderstanding

WhenbroughtupwiththetopicofaworldviewIsincerelyaskedmyself,Whatisa
worldview?ItseemedsobroadinmyheadthatIdidnotevenhavetheslightestbitofanidea
ofwhatitcouldaccuratelymean.AsoxforddictionarydefinesitinKenFunksessayWhata
worldviewisheexplainsAworldviewisacontemplationoflife,aviewoflife,aparticular
philosophyinlife.FromwhatIpersonallyreceivedfromthisisthatworldviewsarepretty
muchourunderstandingandperceptionofeverything.Whycertainthingsare,howwe
shouldbehave,whatourpurposeisetc.Everyindividualhasadifferentworldviewduetoo
manyvariablesincludingfamilyandreligion.Itisimportantforustoohavetheseworldviews
becauseinawayitgivesusguidelines,andhelpsusquestionsthingsthatwemayneed
personalanswerstoo.InFunksessayhementionssevenelementsofworldviewswhich
helpsbreakdownthebroadtopic,andIhopetodiscussmypersonaltakeoneachoneof
them.
Thefirstelementmentionedisepistemologywhichisonesbeliefofknowledge,and
knowing.Thiscoversnature,validationandbasis.WhenitcomestobeliefsIdothinkthey
shouldbejustified,butIhavetounderstandthatIwillnotagreewitheveryonesbelieforhow
theyjustifythem.Aslongasanindividualstronglythinksoftheirbeliefaslogicalandthatit
doesnotcauseanyharmtoanyone,thenthatshouldbeenoughtojustifyit.Somemayjustify
theirbeliefwithscience,whichIleantowardsasavalidmethod.Itisaselfcorrectingsystem,

meaningitwillnotalwaysberightbutwillkeeptryinguntilitismoreaccurate.Nowalthough
scienceisavalidmethod,Idonotthinkitistheonlyvalidmethodtowardsjustifyingones
belief.Sciencemaycontradictsomeonespersonalbeliefssoitmaynotalwaysbethemost
validthingeveryonecanapplytoo.
Thisalsoplaysintothequestionofthedifferencebetweenknowledgeandfaith.Imyself
alwaysviewedknowledgeassomethingonemayseeasmoreaccurate,orsureof.FaithI
seemoreashopeinsomething,itisunexplainablebecauseitisnotasaccurate.Forexample
letssaythatyouwererunningaracethatyouwantedtowin.Youknowthatyouareaheadof
everyoneandthatyouareabletokeepgoing.Youalsohopeorbelievethatyouwillcross
thatfinishlineinfirstplace,andthatnobodywillcatchyou.Withknowledgeyouknowthat
youarefirst,butyouareuncertainifyouaregoingtowinbutyouwanttoo,whichiswhere
faithcomesin.
Anotherquestionbroughtupisthepossibilityofcertainty,whichIdonotentirelybelievein.
Ibelievemoreintheaccuracyofsomethingbecauseitistheclosestwecangettoocertainty.
Accuracyisnot100%,ithasroomfordoubtandcorrection.Forexampleitisnotcertainthat
thesunwillrisetomorrow,butbecauseithasbeenrisingformillionsofyearseverydayitis
accuratetoobelievethatitwill.Nowdoesthatmeanweshouldliveinuncertainty?Idonot
believeso.Uncertaintylosestheconfidencewehaveandbringsusdoubt.Neverbe100%
certainofsomething,butatthesametimedonotlosecompletehopeaswell.
Thesecondelementthatismentionedismetaphysicswhichisourunderstandingof
reality.Iseemedtoseeourrealityassomethingmoresubjectiveratherthanobjective.I
believethateveryonesrealityisdifferentbecauseitiswhatyoumakeofit.Asaresultofthe
choicesandinfluencesinourlivesthisiswhatshapesourownrealities,meaningrealityis

moreobserverdependent.Thisalsobringsinquestionssuchasiftheuniverseispurely
material.Fromwhatschoolhastaughtme,itisthattheuniversepurelyisjustmaterial,and
thatthereprobablyisanexplanationforeverything.InawayIagreewiththis,butatthesame
timeIdonot.Forexamplethethoughtsoflove.Loveofcoursecanbedescribedata
technicalstandpointinthebody,butatthesametimeitisunexplainable.Fallingforsomeone,
andbecomingcompletelylostforanotherbeingcansometimesbehardtodescribewith
words.Itisjustagutinstinct,asifitisitsownentityofsomesorts.SomethingsinlifeIbelieve
youjustcannotexactlyfindquantifiable.
Metaphysicsalsoquestionstheconceptoftruth,whensomethingistruewhatdoesthat
mean,orwhatisthetestfortruth?Icorrelatethiswiththepreviousparagraphandfirst
elementinthattruthiswhatyoumakeittobe.Similartoknowledgepeoplehavedifferent
beliefsinwhatistruth,andmayjustifyitdifferentlyaswell.AgainIbelieveaslongasyou
haveastrongfeelingaboutwhatyoumaydefineastruth,andthatithasnonegativeharmon
anyone,thentruthiswhatyoupersonallymakeittobe.
Thethirdelementofworldviewsiscosmologywhichdiscussestheoriginsoftheuniverse,
life,andinparticularlyman.NowformepersonallyIfindthishardsinceIwasbornacatholic,
butatthesametimealsoconsidertheoriesofscience.Bothsubjectsrarelyevercrosspaths
andareconsideredtheirownindividualelements.WithmyreligionIamtoldthattheuniverse
wascreatedwithinsevendays,andthatmanwasmadefromdust.Whileontheotherhand
sciencehastoldmethattheuniversewascreatedfromabigbangandthatmanwasformed
fromevolution.NowbecauseIconsiderbothmyreligionandscience,Ihonestlyhaveno
viewsonthetopicsimplybecauseIdonotknow.Cosmologyalsoasksquestionssuchas
paralleluniverses,timetraveletc.Isimplydonotknowhowtoanswer,becauseofmy

contradictingviews.AsigoonwithmylifeIhopetosomedayanswerthesequestionsasI
learnmoreandhopefullydecidedwhatIshouldtrulybelievein.
Teleologyisthefourthelementwithworldviewsanditdiscussesthequestionsofpurpose
inlife.Iseeourpurposeasreasoningtobehere,andwegetthatpurposebecausewewere
giventheopportunityoflife.Manypeopledonotgettoliveouttheirfulllives,ormaybeever
livealifeatall.Eventheuniverseitselfwascreatedfromanopportunity,althoughIdonot
knowspecificallywhatcausedthatopportunity,whatmattersisthatitwascreatedandthat
wearehere.ThisishowIknowwehaveapurpose,anditcomesfromthefactthatweexist.
Ifeverythingthateverhappenedhadnomeaningthenwetheuniverse,people,animalsetc.
wouldnotbearoundtostartwith.SofromthisIbelieveourdutyandpurposeinlifeistoolive
andtaketheopportunity.Laugh,love,work,discover,enjoymakethemostofwhatyouare
givenbecauseitissuchagreatgift.
ThefifthelementinFunksarticleisknownasTheologywhichdiscussesthebeliefinGod.
SinceIamundecidedwithmyownviewsIamnotconfidenttosaythattheirisaGodthat
exists.WhatIamabletoexplainisthepointofviewIwastaughtgrowingupasaCatholic.
Godsroleandrelationshipwiththematerialuniverseistoactasaguideorbalance.Godisa
divinebeing,andisallknowing.IfeverthereissomethinginneedGodactsasasuperiorand
providesthatserviceorknowledge.InbiblicalstoriesGodhasactedonhisfreewill.
ExamplesofthisincludethefloodingofNoahsArk,andthesendingofhissonJesusChrist.
Thisisusuallydoneforthebenefitofallthingsgood.SinceGodisaentity,itisveryhardto
explainhisexistence.Alsoduetothis,Godlivesoutsideoftimesincehedoesnotfollowthe
lawsoftheuniverse.AgainthisismypointofviewfromwhatIwastaughtgrowingup,Ido
notagreefullywitheverythingsaid,butitdoesgivesomeperspectiveonthings.

Anthropologywhichisthesixthelementmentioned,isthebeliefofman.Myopinionson
thiscorrelatewithmyviewsonteleology.Ibelievemanspurposeistoliveouttheliveswe
weregivenbymakingthemostofit.Althoughweareathemostsuperiorbeings,Idonot
believewearecompletelydifferentfromotherlifeforms.Wedosharesimilarconceptswith
animals,suchasemotions,families,survivalskillsetc.TheonlymaindifferenceIseeisthat
wehavemanylargeadvantagescomparedtotheseotherlifeforms.Withthese,alsocomes
humanconditionsaswell.Humanconditionsmeaningourcuriosity,thriveforlearning,the
questioningofexistingandourselfawareness.Allhumansgothroughtheseconditionsand
makeuptheirindividualviewsfromit.Nowwearealsobroughtupwiththequestionif
humanshavefreewill.InmyoutlookofthingsIdothinkyoucansetyourmindtoodowhat
youwant,buttherearemanyobstaclesonehastoface.Theissueismanyoftheseobstacles
inlifecanpreventyoufromeverachievingone'sgoal.Suchthingsincludemoney,power,
gender,raceetc.Soinawaywedonothaveafreewill,justbecauseofthelimitsonefaces
thatthereisnotmuchofachoiceyoucouldfaceanymore.
ThelastelementthatismentionedinthearticleisAxiology.Derivingfromthewordaxios,
itisthestudyofvaluesandmorals.ThetrickythingIfindaboutmoralsisthatthereissucha
largerangeforthem,andtheyallcomefromdifferentsources.Somemaycomefromreligion,
government,orpersonalfeelings.Onesdefinitionofgoodmaybesomeoneelse'sdefinition
ofbad.Manypeoplehaveactedforthegoodofhumanity,whenactuallycausing
destruction.Soprettymuchthereisnotanabsolutemorallaws,ormeasureofitjustbecause
therearesomanyviewsonthetopic.Fromareligiousstandpoint,Godisseenasadivine
positiveentity,sowhatevermoralsprojectedfromGodareseenasthehighestoforderfor

good.Fromjustahumanitystandpoint,itseemsthatamajorityagreethatmoralsaredefined
asnotbringingharmtoanybody,althoughagainwhatdefinesnotbringingharm?
AsIreflectmyworldviewbeliefsIstarttoseesimilaritieswithineachtopic.Iamnotoneto
reallydeeplyquestionmythoughtsontheworldwhichexplainswhymyviewoneachelement
shareacomparison.AlthoughIhavementionedIamheavilyinfluencedbymyreligionand
schooling,abigsourceinmylifewouldhavetobemyparents.Wedidgrowupindifferent
generations,andImightnotalwaysagreewiththem,butthemainthingtheyalwaystoldme
wastootreatothersandyourselfkindly.Donotjudgeothersfortheirviews,beopenminded
tonewopportunities,andtreatothershowyouwouldwanttobetreated.FromfollowingthisI
wouldprobablysaythatIhavebeenlivingmylifeasagoodhumanbeingfortheeighteen
yearsIhavegotgoingsofar.Inallhonesty,thatisallthatmatterstome.
Inconclusionourworldviewsplayanimportantrolewithinouruniverse.Itgivesusinsight,
knowledge,andwisdomthatwemaynothaveiftheseelementsdidnotexist.Theyalsogive
usconflict,contradiction,whichalthoughmaybenegative,giveuslessonstolearnfrom.We
allhavedifferentinsightsanditisinawaykindofabeautiful.Isaythisbecauseour
worldviewsmakeuswhoweare.
WordCount:2024