Worldview Introduction
I am hesitant to start your worldview journey dealing with philosophy, as it is a rather polarizing subject. People typically fall into one of two camps: they either love philosophy, or they hate it. There is seldom middle ground, and I fear boring you to the point of disinterest. However, your worldview is built on a bedrock of philosophy. Whether you realize it or not, the development of a sophisticated and coherent worldview necessitates wading into philosophical waters. Why is philosophy so important? Because when developing our worldview, our method matters.
Method Matters
Have you ever gotten the right answer on a test, only to be given partial credit because you did not show how you got to the answer? I experienced this early in my academic career and it infuriated me. The whole goal of tests is to show that you can reach the correct answer! Why should I lose points if I didn't show my method? The reality is, those math and science tests weren't just examining the specific problem, but whether I approached it with a logical and coherent line of reasoning. I could have cheated. I could have used wrong math to arrive at the right answer (and certainly did on some multiple choice guesses). The method mattered not only because it showed that I understood the problem, but I could extend my reasoning to solve other, similar problems. If I applied the wrong method, there would be no guarantee I could reach the correct conclusion in the future. The point those tests illustrated was this: we can be most confident in our answers, and worldviews, when our methodology is sound.
What methods can we rely on to develop, evaluate, understand, refine, and critique our worldviews? How can we even begin to approach the topic?
Fundamental Deconstruction
One of the best ways to tackle a complex problem is to break it down into smaller, more manageable problems. The process of breaking something into its constituents or subcomponents is called deconstruction. Wrapping your head around each subcomponent is like gaining a piece of the overall puzzle. As you understand the different subcomponents, you can begin trying to fit them together (integrate them) to form an overall picture.
For example, imagine you're planning a vacation and want it to be a huge success. At first, the number of decisions can feel overwhelming!
Who do you want to travel with? (Your friends? Your family? By yourself?)
Where do you want to go?
When is everyone available to travel?
How much can you afford to spend? How are you going to get there?
What is the purpose of the trip? Is everyone seeking the same objective (relaxation/adventure/sightseeing)? Does the destination need to offer a mixture?
Each of these questions narrows in on an aspect of the trip that influences the overall goal of a successful vacation. Instead of facing one large, poorly defined task, you are answering smaller, more focused questions. These smaller problems are easier to engage with and answer. As you make decisions and answer the questions, a clear and workable plan begins to emerge.
Although the logistics are important (where, when, how much) it's important to keep the purpose of the vacation front and center: for everyone to have a good time. This basic principle is the north star that guides your overall planning process, and it's critical to stay focused on it. What if one person wants to relax on a beach, while another wants to hike in the mountains? In this scenario, you've uncovered a tension in expectations and desires that needs to be resolved for the best possible vacation. Deconstructing problems to the point of identifying core, basic principles enhances clarity and understanding when examining complex issues. The answers to the sub-questions must be aligned with the guiding principle of everyone having a good time in order for them to be "good" answers. Using fundamental deconstruction as a problem-solving approach can expose where pieces don't fit together well.
What happens if we take this problem-solving approach and apply it to our worldview? Just as we deconstructed the idea of a vacation into its core components, we can do the same with our understanding of reality. The overall purpose of this website is to do just that: break your worldview down into smaller topics to understand what you believe, and then see how your beliefs fit together to form an overall picture. Before you dive in, though, there is one more topic in philosophy that is worth addressing.
Starting From Zero
While fundamental deconstruction helps us break down complex ideas into smaller, manageable parts, we still need to go one layer deeper. Underneath the individual pieces of our worldview lies a foundational question that influences how we approach every belief we hold: How can we be certain of anything at all?
Philosophers have wrestled with this question for centuries. And whether we realize it or not, skepticism has quietly worked its way into modern life. Doubt and uncertainty are often baked into the way people think about truth, knowledge, and belief. When you take this approach to its logical extreme, everything comes into question. Your senses. Your memories. Even your thoughts. Is there anything that can’t be doubted?
When taking this approach, the only undoubtable truth, the only irrefutable claim, is that you exist. This is the fundamental truth René Descartes touched on in his most famous philosophical statement: "I think, therefore I am." The reality is that there is a "you" that is engaged in thinking or doubting, and the process of doubting provides incontrovertible proof of your existence. Even if everything else turns out to be false, your existence is the one thing you cannot deny.
That might sound obvious, but it provides a powerful starting point. If we can establish even one thing with certainty, then we have a foundation to build on.
From here, more questions start to emerge:
Who are you? What is your identity?
In what world do you exist?
How can you reliably understand the world around you?
This last question is where the real journey begins. Before we can evaluate what we believe about God, purpose, or morality, we first have to consider how we approach belief itself. What can be known? How do we know it? And how confident can we be in our answers? To answer these questions, check out our section on Knowledge. to explore this topic further.
Maybe all this philosophical talk seems unnecessary, too abstract, or just plain boring. If that's the case, please skip forward to other topics on the website! I encourage you to circle back to Knowledge at some point, as it's important to understand the underlying assumptions in our worldviews.