The Definition of a Worldview

Define a worldview (not only a definition of, but also explain what a worldview is comprised of, what issues it deals with, etc.) and explain why worldviews are important?

A person’s opinion is his perspective. Perspective is an outlook. An outlook is how a person sees the world in front of him. How one sees the world in front of him is a worldview. Kevin Nash argues that a worldview is a “Conceptual framework, pattern, or arrangement of a person’s beliefs.”[1]  A worldview is a person’s fundamental beliefs. A worldview consists of three categories (Metaphysics, Epistemology, and Ethics,) and is extremely important to understand.

A worldview is made up of metaphysics, epistemology, and ethics. With each of these categories of study in philosophy, a worldview is made up out of them. With metaphysics, a person answers the why questions, such as, “Why are we here?” A worldview answers this question in many different ways. For atheists, their worldview of the "why?" question would be answered in a complete mistake. How they perceive the world is that mankind has no purpose and life is an accident. Christians might say–with their worldview of metaphysics–that the answer to the question of our existence is found in Jesus Christ. Life has purpose and meaning. This purpose is to tell others of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and what He did on the cross. Through a Christian’s worldview, life has meaning.

A worldview is also comprised of epistemology. Epistemology answers the how questions of life: “How can we know life has any purpose?” “How do we know what we know to be true in knowing knowledge?” “How can a God create everything perfect?” These questions are but a few that mold a person’s worldview. How one answers these questions depends on what they believe to be true in his worldview.

Another component of a worldview is ethics. Ethics is probably the most important of the three. Ethics is a moral code–what we know to be right and wrong. One might see racism as a horrible and evil thing; Adolph Hitler saw other races, besides that of the Aryan race, to be vermin of the earth in need of extermination. This can cause issues. One might see one thing as evil and the other might see nothing wrong with it. Ethics is how one lives. Christians believe in one absolute moral code–the Bible. Postmodernists believe absolutes do not exist (meaning ethics become a kind of pluralism.) Ethics govern the actions of a person. Every worldview sees right and wrong differently, that is why ethics are a part of a person’s worldview. Metaphysics, epistemology, and ethics all form together to make a worldview.

Worldviews are important. Every person has one, even if he does not admit it. With a worldview, people decide what is right and what is wrong. They answer the tough questions to life based on their own worldview. Worldviews are important because they are the foundation of people’s opinions. A worldview guides the principles of a person’s thinking and reasoning. Even though worldviews are important, they can cause many issues and debates on whether who is right. Everyone has a worldview and many of them are different, so people will not agree with each other every time.

[1]Ronald H. Nash, “Chapter One: Worldview Thinking,” in Life’s Ultimate Questions: An Introduction to Philosophy (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1999), 13.