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Exploring Worldviews: a Framework

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Research & Scholarship TEACHR Exploring worldviews: A framework Barbara Fisher Senior Lecturer, Faculty of Education and Science, Avondale College of Higher Education, Cooranbong, NSW Abstract on a day-to-day level, as well as providing a reason In an educational environment where for existence and a role in the world. It is a standard multicultural and multi-faith classrooms have or ethic by which humans live. become the norm, it is essential that teachers Each individual has a personal worldview are aware of, and are knowledgeable about (Christian, 2009, p. 73); even if the individual is Each contemporary worldviews. unaware of, or cannot articulate it. Its formation individual This article provides a general framework may be unconscious or conscious. This is clearly has a for exploring a worldview—in terms of defining, evidenced by the influence of pop culture and how “personal analysing, developing, testing and refining it. modern media in all their technological formats—the worldview; As part of this process, several contemporary purveyors of materialism, consumerism and societal even if the major worldviews—theism, pantheism and ‘desires’—vie for ‘allegiance’ and imperceptibly individual is naturalism—are examined and compared, before shape one’s worldview. In this kind of social unaware of, some classroom implications are considered environment it seems needful to have a conscious or cannot and conclusions drawn. awareness of, and evaluate contemporary society’s articulate it prevailing values and ideals. Worldview defined “Not another suicide bomber?” commented Joshua, The characteristics of a worldview as the family sat watching the evening news A contemporary worldview usually includes ”together. “Why do they do that, Mum?” Joshua is a number of common features. It is intuitively typical of children, growing up in the 21st century, developed and does not require individuals to who have been repeatedly exposed through the have higher or university education, to ‘come up’ visual media, to people performing extreme and with some answers to life’s most basic, yet ‘deep’ often violent acts; the motivation for which may be questions; such as: Who am I? Where did I come predicated by a personal worldview. from; and how did the universe begin? Where am I What is a worldview? In their seminal book, going? Why am I here? What is going to happen to Walsh and Middleton (1984, p. 32) assert, “A world me? These are questions that invite corresponding view provides a model of the world which guides answers regarding one’s identity, origins, future, its adherents in the world.” Solomon (1994, p. 1), raison d’être, and the subject of ‘life after death’. citing Sire (1988), comments, “A worldview is a A world view is often presented as a set of presuppositions (or assumptions) which we metanarrative that ties all the concepts of origin, hold (consciously or subconsciously) about the purpose, and destiny together. It is generally basic makeup of our world [and which] helps us by developed over time as individuals engage orienting us to the intellectual and philosophical in cultural experiences, family interactions, terrain about us.” Olthuis (1985, p. 29) defines a religious experiences, education, challenging worldview as “a framework or set of fundamental personal experiences, social interactions, and the beliefs through which we view the world and our expectations of society. For most individuals it takes calling and future in it.” He continues: “It is the formal shape around 20-25 years of age. However, integrative and interpretative framework by which it can be communal as well as personal, because order and disorder are judged, the standard by which shared vision promotes community. Olthuis (1985, reality is managed and pursued.” p. 29) points out, “[it] may be so internalized that A scanning of general literature also reveals the it goes largely unquestioned.” Another feature of term may be viewed as a mental construct or set of a worldview is that it potentially offers both a view postulated coherent basic beliefs (not necessarily of life and a vision for life by proposing ethical and religious) with assumptions that may be totally or moral standards and values (Walsh & Middleton, partially true or false. Furthermore, a worldview 1984, p. 31). Moreover, it may be further refined, informs decision making, influences reasoning and deepened, and codified into a philosophy or creed perceptions, and assists in understanding the world such as Christianity, New Age, Buddhism or Islam. 50 | TEACH | v6 n1 TEACHjournal 6-1.indd 50 27/6/12 7:42:09 PM Research & Scholarship Children are not born with a worldview. Parents may then be compelled to make sense of a personal (or significant adults), society and culture— world that may be spinning out of control, with the together—play a significant role in facilitating a consequence that the person’s worldview eventually child’s emergent worldview. Teachers may also may be consolidated, modified, or rejected. assist in this development, either overtly or covertly, Walsh and Middleton (1984, p. 35) suggest that by exposing children to new insights, experiences by answering four fundamental questions which and information. As children mature, their tap the core of any worldview, a person’s faith understanding of, and reasons for, adherence to a commitment or belief system can be discovered. The given worldview may be modified or altered. questions: Three major worldviews are competing for 1. Who am I? Addresses the nature, meaning allegiance in today’s global society (Lennox, 2009, and purpose of human existence. pp. 28, 29; Rasi, 2001, p. 5; Sire, 1990; p. 40). They 2. Where am I? Deals with the nature and extent are: of reality. • Naturalism—with its ‘loose’ sub-groups of 3. What is wrong? Seeks an answer to the agnosticism, atheism, existentialism, Marxism, cause of suffering, evil, injustice and disorder. materialism and secular humanism. 4. What is the remedy? Explores ways of • Theism—which may be divided into overcoming hindrances and obstacles to Christianity, Islam and Judaism; all of which personal fulfilment. are monotheistic. Each question may assist in discovering and • Pantheism—which includes Buddhism, determining a worldview, but not in evaluating it. Hinduism, Taoism and New Age. A theological or philosophical system can support Expressed in terse general premises, naturalism the evaluation process as it offers a systematic contends: God is irrelevant and either does not exist conception of faith, belief and reality. or it is impossible to determine God’s existence. All According to Nash (1992, p. 55) and Naugle reality is explained in terms of physical elements, (2002, p. 327), three criteria—coherence, reality and forces and processes and that everything can be practicality—need to be applied when evaluating explained on the basis of natural law. Theism asserts the strengths and weaknesses of a worldview. The that God exists; is infinite and personal. He is the evaluation should test whether the worldview fits Creator and Sovereign of the universe. In pantheism, together in a coherent and consistent manner; if God is perceived as impersonal; nature is God, so all the worldview data adequately explain the totality forces and workings of nature are divine; everything of human existence; and whether the belief system is God (Rasi, 2000; Geisler, 1999; Solomon, 1998; works and can be applied in everyday life. If these McCallum, 1997). criteria are met satisfactorily, then a person probably It should be noted, however, that not all is well on the way to discovering and developing a philosophies or religious beliefs are easily personal worldview. catalogued within the three outlined, well-defined major worldviews and their respective premises. Probing and refining a personal worldview Panentheism, for example, is a worldview that Nash (1992, pp. 26-30) and Sire (2004, p. 20) combines elements of theism and pantheism. similarly outline major themes, or presuppositions According to Culp (2009, p. 1), “Panentheism that also may be used to describe a worldview. Because understands God and the world to be inter-related The themes, God, ultimate reality, human worldviews with the world being in God and God being in the kind, knowledge, ethics and corresponding, inform and world. It offers an increasingly popular alternative to accompanying questions that are applicable for “define a traditional theism and pantheism”. each theme, represent an extended exploration person, a of the general premises of naturalism, theism and worldview is Discovering, developing and testing a pantheism posited above. more than worldview Because worldviews inform and define a person, a personal All worldviews have a set of beliefs that require a worldview is more than a personal feeling. It feeling some measure of commitment. Because individuals can provide a sense of communality, purpose and may not always be consciously aware of these direction in life, outline cherished and venerated beliefs, they are sometimes surprised by what they values, inform decision making and recommend really believe. For example, various aspects of standards of conduct. In a 21st century multicultural ” a belief system may be more explicitly revealed, classroom, it is inevitable that a variety of worldviews even challenged, when a person is confronted with will be expressed and encountered. Some may be in difficult or changed circumstances. That person conflict or even be perceived to be at ‘war’ with one v6 n1 | TEACH | 51 TEACHjournal 6-1.indd 51 27/6/12 7:42:09 PM Research & Scholarship another (Lennox, 2009, p. 15). This is exemplified or worldview but his or her actions may not always by the intellectual distain which atheists such as match the words. It is the consistency of actions and Richard Dawkins show for theists—which sometimes overall behaviour that most clearly demonstrates is reciprocated—or the current controversy in NSW what a person really believes, and what might It is the over the teaching of Scripture and / or Ethics Classes constitute his or her worldview.
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