Introduction Introduction to Worldviewsto Worldviews

James SireJames Sire

The Universe Next DoorThe Universe Next Door

““THE THE UNEXAMINED UNEXAMINED LIFE IS NOT LIFE IS NOT

WORTH LIVING.” WORTH LIVING.” SOCRATES SOCRATES

What is a worldview? What is a worldview? Does everyone have a Does everyone have a

worldview? worldview? Why is a person’s worldview Why is a person’s worldview

important? important? What are the major questions What are the major questions

that worldview attempts to that worldview attempts to address? address?

What is a worldview? What is a worldview?

A commitment to a set beliefs and A commitment to a set beliefs and values (Sire, 20)values (Sire, 20)

““A framework through which we view A framework through which we view the world…..” James Olthuis (Sire, the world…..” James Olthuis (Sire, 18)18)

Worldview involves both our intellect Worldview involves both our intellect (mind) and our “soul” (Sire, 20)(mind) and our “soul” (Sire, 20)

““Matter of the heart” (20) Matter of the heart” (20) Central aspect of the “self” (20) Central aspect of the “self” (20)

WORLDVIEW DEFINEDWORLDVIEW DEFINED-CHAPTER 1 pp. 20-22 -CHAPTER 1 pp. 20-22

A SET OF A SET OF ASSUMPTIONS ASSUMPTIONS ABOUT THE ABOUT THE NATURE OF REALITY NATURE OF REALITY OFTEN EXPRESSED AS A “STORY” OR OFTEN EXPRESSED AS A “STORY” OR

NARRATIVENARRATIVE THESE ASSUMPTIONS MAY BE TRUE OR THESE ASSUMPTIONS MAY BE TRUE OR

FALSEFALSE OUR ASSUMPTIONS DETERMINE HOW WE OUR ASSUMPTIONS DETERMINE HOW WE

ATTEMPT TO ANSWER LIFE’S ATTEMPT TO ANSWER LIFE’S BIGGEST BIGGEST QUESTIONSQUESTIONS

Questions of Questions of meaning, value, purposemeaning, value, purpose

WHY IS A PERSON’S WHY IS A PERSON’S WORLDVIEW IMPORTANT?WORLDVIEW IMPORTANT? OUR WORLDVIEW IMPACTS HOW WE OUR WORLDVIEW IMPACTS HOW WE

LIVE OUR LIVES- LIVE OUR LIVES- EXISTENTIAL COMPONENT EXISTENTIAL COMPONENT

IT DETERMINES OUR IT DETERMINES OUR BELIEFS/VALUES/ MORALITYBELIEFS/VALUES/ MORALITY DECISIONS AND CHOICES DECISIONS AND CHOICES ACTIONSACTIONS

ACTIONS

VALUES

WORLDVIEW

WORLDVIEW WORLDVIEW QUESTIONS QUESTIONS

The Universe Next Door The Universe Next Door – Chapter 1 pp. 22-23– Chapter 1 pp. 22-23 WHAT IS WHAT IS PRIMEPRIME REALITY REALITY? ?

THE THE ULTIMATE REALITYULTIMATE REALITY THIS IS THE “GOD” QUESTIONTHIS IS THE “GOD” QUESTION IS THERE A GOD? IS THERE A GOD?

PHYSICAL/MATERIAL PHYSICAL/MATERIAL REALITYREALITY

WHAT IS THE NATURE OF WHAT IS THE NATURE OF EXTERNAL (PHYSICAL) REALITY?EXTERNAL (PHYSICAL) REALITY? WHAT IS THE NATURAL WORLD?WHAT IS THE NATURAL WORLD? PHYSICAL (MATERIAL) UNIVERSE PHYSICAL (MATERIAL) UNIVERSE WHAT IS THE UNIVERSE (COSMOS) AND WHAT IS THE UNIVERSE (COSMOS) AND

EVERYTHING IN IT?EVERYTHING IN IT?

HUMAN BEINGS HUMAN BEINGS

WHAT IS A HUMAN BEING?WHAT IS A HUMAN BEING? ARE HUMAN BEINGS PHYSICAL ARE HUMAN BEINGS PHYSICAL

ONLY?ONLY? ARE HUMAN BEING BOTH BODY ARE HUMAN BEING BOTH BODY

AND “SOUL”AND “SOUL” – – MIND AND MIND AND MATTER?MATTER?

WHAT DOES IT REALLY MEAN TO WHAT DOES IT REALLY MEAN TO BE HUMAN? BE HUMAN?

HOW SHOULD WE SEE AND VALUE HOW SHOULD WE SEE AND VALUE HUMAN LIFE?HUMAN LIFE?

DEATH DEATH

WHAT HAPPENS WHEN WE DIE?WHAT HAPPENS WHEN WE DIE? DO HUMANS SIMPLY CEASE TO DO HUMANS SIMPLY CEASE TO

EXIST?EXIST? IS THERE SOMETHING ABOUT IS THERE SOMETHING ABOUT

HUMAN BEINGS THAT HUMAN BEINGS THAT TRANSCENDS PHYSICAL LIFE? TRANSCENDS PHYSICAL LIFE?

IS THERE AN ULTIMATE JUSTICE IS THERE AN ULTIMATE JUSTICE AFTER DEATH? AFTER DEATH?

KNOWINGKNOWING HOW DO WE KNOW WHAT WE KNOW?HOW DO WE KNOW WHAT WE KNOW?

- - EPISTEMOLOGY EPISTEMOLOGY - STUDY - STUDY OF“KNOWING” OF“KNOWING”

--DO WE KNOW ONLY THROUGH THE DO WE KNOW ONLY THROUGH THE MIND? MIND?

-DO WE KNOW THROUGH SENSORY -DO WE KNOW THROUGH SENSORY EXPERIENCE EXPERIENCE

-ARE WE BORN WITH AN IMPRINTED -ARE WE BORN WITH AN IMPRINTED (INTUITIVE) KNOWLEDGE OR (INTUITIVE) KNOWLEDGE OR KNOWING? KNOWING?

NATURE AND NURTURE NATURE AND NURTURE

MORALITY MORALITY

HOW DO WE KNOW WHAT IS RIGHT HOW DO WE KNOW WHAT IS RIGHT AND WRONG? AND WRONG? HOW DO HUMANS MAKE VALUE HOW DO HUMANS MAKE VALUE

JUDGEMENTS?JUDGEMENTS? IS MORALITY A SET STANDARD OR IS MORALITY A SET STANDARD OR

SOMETHING CREATED BY HUMAN SOMETHING CREATED BY HUMAN BEINGS? BEINGS?

HUMAN HISTORY HUMAN HISTORY

WHAT IS THE MEANING OF HUMAN WHAT IS THE MEANING OF HUMAN HISTORY?HISTORY? DOES LIFE HAVE ANY REAL MEANING DOES LIFE HAVE ANY REAL MEANING

AND PURPOSE?AND PURPOSE? IS HISTORY MOVING TOWARD SOME IS HISTORY MOVING TOWARD SOME

ULTIMATE GOAL OR FULFILLMENTULTIMATE GOAL OR FULFILLMENT IS HISTORY SIMPLY A CYCLE OF IS HISTORY SIMPLY A CYCLE OF

RECURRING EVENTS WITH NO RECURRING EVENTS WITH NO UNDERLYING MEANING OR PURPOSE? UNDERLYING MEANING OR PURPOSE?

THE MAJOR WAYS THE MAJOR WAYS THAT WE FORM THAT WE FORM

OUR WORLDVIEWOUR WORLDVIEW

REASONREASONLOGICLOGIC

SCIENCESCIENCEOBSERVATION OBSERVATION EMPIRICISM EMPIRICISM

VERIFICATION THROUGH VERIFICATION THROUGH THE HARD SCIENCES AND THE HARD SCIENCES AND

HUMAN REASON HUMAN REASON

REVELATIONREVELATIONFAITHFAITH

INTUITION INTUITION

ARE THESE ARE THESE MUTUALLY MUTUALLY

EXCLUSIVE WAYS EXCLUSIVE WAYS OF KNOWING OR OF KNOWING OR DO THEY WORK DO THEY WORK

TOGETHER? TOGETHER?

IS ONE WAY IS ONE WAY SUPERIOR TO THE SUPERIOR TO THE

OTHER? OTHER?

THE WAY WE THE WAY WE APPROACH AND APPROACH AND ANSWER THESE ANSWER THESE FUNDAMENTAL FUNDAMENTAL

QUESTIONS WILL QUESTIONS WILL DETERMINE OUR DETERMINE OUR WORLDVIEW AND WORLDVIEW AND

HOW WE LIVE OUR HOW WE LIVE OUR

LIVES.LIVES.