Worldview
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Our worldview shapes what we perceive as true based on the part of reality we see. This concept is best illustrated in a poem by John Godfrey Saxe called The Blind Man and The Elephant:
It was six men of Indostan, to learning much inclined,
who went to see the elephant (Though all of them were blind),
that each by observation, might satisfy his mind.
The first approached the elephant, and, happening to fall,
against his broad and sturdy side, at once began to bawl:
'God bless me! but the elephant, is nothing but a wall!'
The second feeling of the tusk, cried: 'Ho! what have we here,
so very round and smooth and sharp? To me tis mighty clear,
this wonder of an elephant, is very like a spear!'
The third approached the animal, and, happening to take,
the squirming trunk within his hands, 'I see,' quoth he,
the elephant is very like a snake!'
The fourth reached out his eager hand, and felt about the knee:
'What most this wondrous beast is like, is mighty plain,' quoth he;
'Tis clear enough the elephant is very like a tree.'
The fifth, who chanced to touch the ear, Said; 'E'en the blindest man
can tell what this resembles most; Deny the fact who can,
This marvel of an elephant, is very like a fan!'
The sixth no sooner had begun, about the beast to grope,
than, seizing on the swinging tail, that fell within his scope,
'I see,' quothe he, 'the elephant is very like a rope!'
And so these men of Indostan, disputed loud and long,
each in his own opinion, exceeding stiff and strong,
Though each was partly in the right, and all were in the wrong!
So, oft in theologic wars, the disputants, I ween,
tread on in utter ignorance, of what each other mean,
and prate about the elephant, not one of them has seen!
As illustrated by the poem, each man's idea of what an elephant is was determined by the body part he felt. Neither had the advantage of sight to see the entire elephant. Our worldview is also colored by the parts of life we see and how those parts are presented to us.
There are many lists and versions of world views, but for our purposes, we will concentrate on the following because they impact our concept of who is worthy of social justice:
Regardless of how one defines one's world view, it shapes how we interact with the rest of our communities and the world. Embedded in those views are biases we may be aware of and those we didn't know existed until a situation arises that challenges us.
Those biases help shape our opinions on every aspect of our lives.
A worldview is a commitment, a fundamental orientation of the heart, that can be expressed as a story or in a set of presuppositions (assumptions which may be true, partially true or entirely false) which we hold (consciously or subconsciously, consistently or inconsistently) about the basic constitution of reality, and that provides the foundation on which we live and move and have our being. ~James Sire
Worldview References
Types of World Views
The RationWiki defines ten worldviews, but there are as many different worldviews as there are perceptions of the world. The ten worldviews listed by RationWiki are:
- Naturalist is defined by philosopher Paul Draper as "the hypothesis that the natural world is a closed system, which means that nothing that is not a part of the natural world affects it.
- Rationalist - The rationalist or scientific worldview "assumes that there are no transcendent, immaterial forces and that all forces which do exist within the universe behave in an ultimately objective or random fashion
- Humanist - The humanist worldview merges a confidence in the effectiveness of freethinking and free inquiry with a profound appreciation for the needs of human beings and the importance of human experiences.
- Evolutionary - the primary tenets of the evolutionary worldview as first that "all biological processes are ultimately obedient to...the laws of physics and chemistry" and secondly that "all biological processes arose through evolution of these physiochemical systems through natural selection
- Religious - The religious worldview, also theist or supernaturalist, is a ready made one for individuals without the time or energy to develop their own. It permits the use of deities and miracles as explanations for natural phenomena
- Christian - The Christian worldview represents an attempt to explain the relationship between man and God
- Creationist - The creationist worldview, also referred to as fundamentalist or biblical, holds that God is the creator of the universe and of man
- Intelligent design - The intelligent design worldview is essentially the same as creationism but with the obvious religious connotations removed in order to make it appear scientific
- Atheist - Atheism is the lack of belief in deities
- No Worldview
To complicate matters further, we usually have a combination of different worldviews. What is important is developing an awareness of how one’s worldviews determines how one interacts with the rest of world. As a rule, we are typically drawn to other people who share some of our basic worldview. Now would be a good time to search the internet for other types of worldviews and see which ones apply to you. Then try to determine how those views might color how you see the world in terms of social justice for certain segments of our society. This is a good exercise to try with a small group of friends who are open to examining the connections between how they view the world and how those views might impact their idea of social justice
How do we develop awareness?
That is not an easy question to answer, nor is there a strict formula one has to follow. While empathy is an integral part, it is not the whole story. We must first begin to understand the worldview we hold and that of those around us. Sounds like a tall order. It is.
A worldview is one person's mental model of his or her reality. The definition of the world can be pretty fluid for most of us. For some the world consist of a static geographical area where we grew up, the people that live in the area, the things we see on television or read in the local paper. For others the world includes other cities, states or even countries. It can include religion, the role of men and women, our fears and values, our ideas around education, money, and sexuality. It includes the type of interaction we have had with people from other cultures, ethnicities and races or lack of interaction.
To get a little insight into your own worldview, let’s start with a simple exercise:
EXERCISE: Would you view the validity of this handbook differently if you knew the writer was:
- A college professor or a high school drop-out
- A respected religious leader of your own faith or one of a different faith
- A news reporter or a politician
- A person of a different race or different class
- A personal friend of someone you liked and respected his or her opinions
There is no right or wrong answer, but ask yourself how your opinion of the work presented in this handbook would differ depending on the writer.
If you end the exercise and think it doesn't matter who wrote the handbook, think about the reviews you count on to make decisions like what to buy, where to eat, what movies to see, where to live or what to read, etc.
- What about those reviews appeal to you?
- Does it make a difference to you where you saw the review or who is doing the review?
Here are articles about reviews and their impact:
The Impact of Online Reviews on Customers’ Buying Decision
Back to the Definition of Social Justice
Our definition of social justice is provided at the beginning of this handbook. It will give a reference point to start to understand it, but we will define it in a way that intersects with how it is or is not realized in our daily lives. In this section, we hope to help to create a better awareness of the impact that social injustice might have on your life and the lives of others, please consider the following: Actions that may be construed as normative can, like bricks in a way, lead to the construction of significant obstacles for the people around you. We need to develop a consciousness regarding how our own actions affect the people in our lives such that we do not accidentally cause harm to ourselves.
Barriers to achieving true social justice are woven so tightly into our society; we tend not to notice them unless they impact us directly. Even those who are impacted may not always appreciate how a simple act impacts their march towards social justice because it seems so benign. Once awareness is developed, it will be easier to see how small acts against injustice can go a long ways towards removing barriers in the way of justice.
Many of the attitudes and reasons that prevent social justice are unconsciously developed. We tend to recognize when attitudes and reasons stand in the way of social justice when the events or acts are big enough to get media attention, but miss them all together when they happen in small acts in our daily lives.
Let’s start redefining social justice by looking at examples where injustice exists. The media, whether mainstream or social, are good places to start to look at actual events. Then we will look at stories and case studies of actual people.
