Worldview

Abstract

Worldviews are established based on our individual beliefs, shaped by our culture, surroundings, ethnicity, religion, and our standing in our socioeconomic hierarchy. Due to their uniqueness it is uncommon for groups of people to have exactly the same beliefs in regards to what people perceive as reality.

In studying philosophy it is interesting to study the different worldviews throughout time, as well as the beliefs of what we now consider to be philosophical scholars. In the year 2009, I would have to say the majority of individuals have a different worldly view than Plato does when it comes to reality and those concepts that shape our own worldviews.

I personally believe in God and in the power of his son, Jesus Christ. I believe that it was God's will to create the world and the Earth that we live on. I believe in the deity of Jesus Christ and the power of his sacrifice in human form and that his death is the reason of the forgiveness of our sins, as Christians walking in faith. I believe every person can have a relationship with God by committing themselves to him and proclaiming Jesus as their personal savior. I believe as Christians we can learn to be better human beings and provide a guideline for our lives as moral citizens with expectations of sharing the love of Jesus in everyday relationships. I believe that God is a spiritual being, not a personal being, but that share and communicates with people through the Holy Spirit. I believe God's plan is in action from the moment we are born and that when we fully submit to God's will, we will be content and he can utilize our skills, passions, and talents to build his kingdom.

I believe reality is based on the perceptions of individuals. We all have our own perceptions that make up the world we live. We all have a reality that is unique and ever-changing, based on our status, roles in life, as well as age. Our beliefs shift as we are children and are fully recognized as adults. We are growing, changing beings and the reality of our lives changes along with us.

I believe that individuals acquire knowledge, through educational platforms, individual learning and study, and life experience. It is my belief that most people learn more from their experiences including: choices, pain, mistakes, failure, and understanding of the events that unfold in our lives. I have truly learned to put value in the relationships that I have with others. I lost several family members when I was young and I have placed a priority on sharing positive influential relationships with those that I care about. I cannot say for certain that I would hold this in such high regard if they were still part of my life. This would be knowledge that I have gained from this experience.

I believe that the set of morals and ethics that I choose to live by are God's design; those that are shaped in the Bible that are shared with us through God's people, specifically Moses when he shares the Ten Commandments. I believe that in many cultures or for a variety of people -- even those that are close in age to me, that their morals and ethics are developed by their own core social group. I believe we all have a set of expectations for ourselves and those of others; which not everyone has the same set of these. I do not believe that ethics are based on a superstition that people are duped into believing. I work with small children and one thing I try to make sure they understand is that we need to treat people the way we want to be treated: The Golden Rule. This is something pretty common to live by and I would consider it an ethical obligation. It is my hope that humanity can follow this statement.

Human beings are an extremely complex; however, we all have the same fundamental needs. We all desire to have our basic needs met, shelter, food and water. Beyond these basic needs, we want to have relationships that are meaningful. We want jobs that promote our skills and abilities that help us to feel achieved. In these roles we often hope that we are impacting society positively and in the end can be esteemed. Humans are different than animals in this regard. Animals only need their physical needs met. They don't have any hierarchical needs that they need to meet or climb to achieve. I personally believe there is life after death. As Christians, we are faced with God's judgment in determining if we will live with him eternally in heaven. This is a huge factor in Christians living morally and ethically sound lives while in the human form.

Every person is raised differently, with a set of people as unique as they are that assist in shaping their beliefs about life -- whether it be what is considered right and wrong in their family to how to deal with worldly situations such as politics or war. Because of this uniqueness every individual truly has a unique worldview.

References

Nash, Ronald. (1999). Life's Ultimate Questions: an Introduction to Philosophy. Grand Rapids, Michigan