World View Evaluation I

Ronald Nash, in his excellent book "Faith and Reason" outlines the notion of Noetic Structure, that is the sum total of everything a person believes, (1). This noetic structure contains certain presuppositions (axioms) which are basic to the individual's ability to think and to view the world. He posits that within this overall (Noetic) structure there exists a "core" set of more limited but related beliefs which constitute the person's World View. This World View is a conceptual scheme, algorhythm, lens, or prism through which an individual "sees", "evaluates", or conceives of reality, (visible, and invisible).

In the history of philosophy, Plato, Spinoza, Kant, Hegel, and Aristotle all had philosophical or metaphysical systems or World Views. Nash argues that just as the proper eye glasses can put the world into clearer focus in a physical sense, the correct World View, can function in the same way in a metaphysical sense. For example, if someone views the world with the wrong "world view", it may not make much sense, it may seem "out of focus", or be less "understandable". The question then is how do we evaluate a World View. What are the World View choices that will allow us to view the world with the optimal set of "glasses"?

A world view usually includes at least 3 to 5 basic elements but may include more. These make up what the individual believes with respect to the following: Theology, Metaphysics, Epistemology, Ethics, and Anthropology,(2).

Perhaps the most important of the 5 enumerated elements is the notion a respective world view has with regard to the concept of God, ie, does God Exist, what is the nature of God, is God singular, pleural, personal, impersonal? Metaphysics is also very critical, and involves beliefs about what constitutes ultimate reality. For example, does reality include only the visible, the material, does the ethereal exist? Other metaphysical notions would include: Is the universe eternal or finite, is the cosmos material, spiritual or other, are miracles possible? Epistemology addresses issues such as, can we trust our senses, is knowledge of the universe possible, how can we "know" anything, what is the role of sense experience and reason in knowledge?

Ethics is the philosophy of right and wrong, usually the notion of why a given action is right or wrong, what laws govern human conduct, are they the same for all individuals, and if so, what are they? Finally, each world view has a notion about the nature of human beings, that is, their anthropology. These questions concern such things as whether we are simply pawns in a cosmic game of purposeless roulette, are human beings only material, or is there something more, do we have a soul, and what is it, how is it different from the body or the material? A good example of this is the notion of whether anything of a person survives after death, and what is it?

In the next essay we will consider the steps to employ in choosing a World View.

Ref.:

1.) Nash, Ronald H. "Faith and Reason": Searching for a Rational Faith. Grand Rapids, Mi.: Zondervan, 1988.

2.) Ibid