(phil 3) Philosphy Summary Thinking About Worldview

Philosophy 3 – Study Paper

2007

Brendan Moar

Thinking about 'Worldview' Paper by Brendan Moar

1 Introduction Basically, a worldview is the set of beliefs—whether held consciously or unconsciously—through which we receive, process and interpret the world and our place in it. It is our worldview then, which directs us and defines meaning in our lives. The origin of the term 'worldview' comes from Kant: Weltanschauung.

2 Thinking about our Worldview Thinking about our worldview is an incredibly complex task. For example: Worldviews describe the way the world is and the way it should be. Worldviews involve a faith-commitment, yet are shaped by an individual's/ communities specific life experiences. Some see a worldview as a basis for what we do. Others (like Nietzsche) think we create a worldview to justify our beliefs. 'Smart et al show the way worldviews are clusters of thought and belief that describe and justify various ways of living.'

3 Weltanschauung and Lebenanschauung 'Philosophy of reality'

'Philosophy of life'

A 'philosophy of life' is about our framework for everyday life. It's how we operate in the world. Many people today are eclectic in their 'philosophy of life', borrowing the 'good' or 'appealing' bits from various philosophies (e.g. postmodernism, liberalism, feminism, etc.). A 'philosophy of reality' is about the encyclopaedic knowledge of the entire cosmos.

4 Dooyeweerd A Dutch Reformed theologian, Dooyeweerd argues that because human secular thinking is marred by the fall—in fact it is in antithesis to Christian thinking—only Christian theology knows the proper order of creation. God's common grace means secular thinkers can have great gifts of insight, but they will never have true knowledge. The Christian thinker learns from secular insights and rearranges the knowledge into its proper order.

Thinking about 'Worldview'

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Philosophy 3 – Study Paper

2007

Brendan Moar

Because God crated according to 'kind' [Gen 2], Dooyeweerd arranges knowledge taxonomically, into various 'law-spheres'. The spheres are arranged hierarchically, according to the number of properties they posses in common.

4.1 What Should We Think about Dooyeweerd? While several of his insights are praiseworthy (e.g. affirms the good of creation), Dooyeweerd is too optimistic in his estimation for the potential of human Christian understanding, even if they are Christian. Key objections: • Dooyeweerd downplays the noetic effects of sin [Rom 1:20]. • His hermeneutics are not obvious: how do we get an encyclopaedic system from the Bible? • Who defines a law-sphere and its content? What are its criteria? How come Dooyeweerd and his mates come up with different spheres? • What place does Dooyeweerd assign to the cross? His system seems to be more about a theology of glory and downplays the ongoing effects of sin. • Similarly to the previous point, he suffers from an over-realised eschatology. • Anthropologically speaking, does regenerate humanity have the ability to know as Christ knows? Not according to Bible; not yet anyway. [Deut 29:29; 1 Cor 13:9] Only God has encyclopaedic knowledge of the world.

5 A Christian 'Philosophy of life' A Christian has a Biblical 'philosophy of life'. That is, how they navigate life is shaped by the Bible [2 Tim 3:16-17]. We believe that the cosmos is real, and that God made it, orders it and knows it. Therefore there are right and wrong ways to know it: we are ontological realists. We also need to have the cosmos explained to us; we only have a perspective on truth. Our worldview is guided by beliefs and propositions which we will not compromise: they are our control beliefs. A key aspect of our Christian life-view is our anthropology. It stands in contrast to the anthropologies of other life-views. Five key anthropological points 1) Being imagio dei means that among all creatures humanity is uniquely like God in character [Col 3:10; Eph 4:24], relationships [Gen 1:27-28] and function [Gen 1:28]. 2) We are dust, and to dust we shall return. [Gen 3:19] 3) Humanity is social: Life is about mutual-love relationships; love God, love your neighbour. 4) The human condition is totally depraved and under judgment. 5) Humanity is under promise: God blesses and creates to bless.

Thinking about 'Worldview'

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Philosophy 3 – Study Paper

2007

Brendan Moar

6 How Will I Know a Good Worldview when I See One? A good world view will be: Coherent: does not include beliefs that contradict control beliefs. Real: satisfactorily accounts for and explains reality. Pragmatic: it works. Scriptural: is concordant with and shaped by the Bible.

7 Why Do I Care About Worldviews? Worldviews help us to: Understand people: If we get where they're coming from and what's going on in their head then we can really hear them. That means we can really help them. Understand ourselves: What's going on in my head? Is what I believe coherent, real, pragmatic and Scriptural? Understand the task of ministering: How does the Gospel challenge or confirm the worldview of the people we minister to.

Thinking about 'Worldview'

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