Man is a social being, which means he has the ability to receive information from other people. Due to the fact that the worldview is formed throughout most of conscious life and can change at any period, we will consider the reasons and principles of its formation separately. In the process of life, a person thinks, looks for methods to implement his ideas and learns to determine the consequences of his actions before the action is taken. Due to the fact that each person has his own position and has an individual picture of the world, his worldview is formed. Of course, in addition to personal factors in shaping a worldview, external factors also have a significant influence. So what does the process of worldview formation depend on?
What is a person's worldview?
Man is a rational being, capable of thinking and predicting the consequences of his actions, and looking for means to realize his goals. All this determines his worldview. Natural instincts, experience, scientific and practical activities form a system of views, assessments and a figurative understanding of the world. The functions of a worldview lie in the organization, meaningfulness and purposefulness of an individual’s activities. That is, worldview is determined by beliefs, life position and moral and ethical values.
Worldview function
The worldview function of philosophy is considered one of the most important.
It reveals the ability of philosophy to act as the basis of a worldview, which is an integral, stable system of views about the world and the laws of its existence, about the phenomena and processes of nature and society that are important for maintaining the life of society and man. The worldview of an individual appears in the form of a set of feelings, knowledge and beliefs. A special role in a person’s worldview is played by ideas about the principles that determine his relationship to the world, society and himself.
A worldview in its form can be:
- mythological
- religious
- philosophical.
It depends on what basis it is based on - mythological, religious or philosophical ideas. The basis of the mythological worldview is made up of myths, that is, fantastic stories about the world order and the place of man in the system of the universe. This worldview comes from an artistic and emotional experience of the world or from social illusions. The religious worldview is the next stage in the development of people’s views on the world; unlike myth, religion does not confuse the earthly and the sacred.
Holders of such a worldview believe that the creative omnipotent force - God - is above nature and outside of nature. At the center of any religious worldview are ideas about higher values and ways to achieve them. It is based on faith that cannot tolerate doubt and makes a person’s views dependent on religious dogmas. In contrast, a philosophical worldview is able to be based on the results of people’s cognitive and practical activities. An important role in the system of modern philosophical worldview is played by the data of science, synthesized in ideas about the scientific picture of the world.
Often in modern conditions, the worldview of individual people simultaneously combines mythological, religious and scientific ideas. These ideas give specificity to the worldviews of specific people.
Worldview, worldview and worldview
In worldviews that differ in form and character, the intellectual and emotional-psychological experience of people is combined in a special way; they reflect people’s worldview, worldview and worldview in different ways.
Attitude is the emotional and psychological side of the worldview. It expresses the sensations, perceptions, and experiences of people.
In a worldview based on visual representations, the world appears in its reality, the images of which are mediated by a combination of emotional, psychological and cognitive experience of people.
Worldview is formed on the basis of attitude and worldview. As science develops, the nature of the worldview is increasingly influenced by the knowledge it acquires. The importance of worldview lies in the fact that it is the basis for the formation of a person’s needs and interests, his ideas about norms and values, and therefore his motives for activity. The development and improvement of worldview, worldview and understanding of the world leads to an increase in the quality of the content of the worldview and an increase in the power of its influence on living life.
As a system of beliefs, people’s worldview is formed on the basis of a wide variety of knowledge, but its final form is given by philosophy, which, as noted earlier, generalizes the attitudes contained in it and develops extremely general principles of both knowledge, understanding, and transformation of the world. The foundation of a worldview is information about normative formations that mediate its orientation and give it effectiveness.
Philosophy is a means of forming and justifying the content of the most general, fundamental and therefore essential normative formations of the worldview that mediate the entire life support system of people. In this sense, it is justified to consider it as the basis of a worldview that a person uses in his interactions with the world and to endow it with a worldview function.
How is a worldview formed?
The overall picture of the world is formed in the process of education, training and socialization in society. In general, the formation of a worldview is a very slow and gradual process and depends on the quality of individual knowledge. Young people with insufficient experience and knowledge have an unstable worldview, which makes them an easy target for various manipulators - politicians, religious representatives, etc. As one grows up, the system of life values strengthens, determining the individual’s behavior and acting as a guide to action.
types of worldview
Existing problems
The main problem of worldview is the contradictions in people's views on existing reality. Each individual sees it through his own lens of perception, which focuses on beliefs and basic life attitudes, confirmed in practice. It's the difference in what people focus on that makes them so different.
For example, those who focus on money accumulate capital, those who focus on their absence create poverty.
The influence of worldview on the level and quality of life of people has been proven experimentally. As soon as a person changes his beliefs and focuses on new attitudes (wealth, health, love, career and much more), the picture of the world begins to gradually change.
It is important to remember that the problem with change is the time lag. If a person has believed for a long time that he cannot become rich, then it will take some time for new views of the worldview to “take root” in the subconscious.
Worldview, its types and forms
There are certain components of worldview:
- Knowledge . They can be scientific, professional and practical. This is the first element of any worldview. The larger the circle of knowledge, the firmer the life position.
- Feelings . Types of worldview manifest themselves in accordance with a person’s subjective reaction to external stimuli. Depending on the mental state, the reaction can be either positive, associated with joy and pleasure, or negative, associated with sadness, grief, and fear. There is also a moral aspect - this is duty, responsibility.
- Values . The concept of worldview is closely related to values. They can be significant, useful and harmful, but they are perceived through the prism of one’s own goals, interests and needs.
- Actions – positive and negative. This is how a person shows his own views and ideas in practice.
- Convictions are strong, strong-willed. This is a set of personal and social views that are a kind of engine and basis of life.
- Character – will, faith, doubts. Based on the ability for independent and conscious action, self-confidence, trust in others and self-criticism, a worldview is formed and developed.
Philosophical worldview
It is defined as system-theoretical. It differs from the mythological worldview in the high role of reason: if myth uses emotions and feelings as support, then philosophy uses logic and evidence. This type of worldview studies the forces that rule the world. Philosophy and worldview emerged simultaneously in Ancient India, China and Greece. At the same time, a worldview can exist outside of philosophy, but philosophy itself forms a worldview. Philosophical knowledge is elitist and not accessible to everyone. Rarely do pundits get carried away by it.
Religious worldview
It arose from the mythological and is based on belief in supernatural forces. As religious movements developed, many mythological features faded into oblivion, but rigid dogmatism and a system of moral commandments remained. Worldview types that include piety and holiness imply dependence on higher powers. At the heart of this worldview is fear of the unknown. A holistic religious worldview was formed when indisputable systems of dogmas and commandments appeared that determined the sinfulness and holiness of certain thoughts and actions.
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Mythological worldview
This type was formed in the conditions of primitive society, when it was based on a figurative perception of the world. Mythology is closely connected with paganism and acts as a set of myths, spiritualizing material objects and phenomena. This human worldview is mixed with the sacred and the profane, but at its core is faith. According to tradition, a follower of such a worldview is able to rise to the level of god, and all the existing myths were useful from a practical point of view and were a guide to action.
Worldview
Scientific worldview
This worldview arose as the opposite of the mythological and religious. The scientific picture of the world is based on the concepts of law and regularity. The main types of worldview - mythological and religious - are based on fictitious, arbitrary and supernatural reasons, and science develops in the course of complicating work and solving practical problems. Such a progressive worldview provides an opportunity to draw new knowledge from previously acquired knowledge. Rationality, transferred to religion and mythology, gave impetus to the development of philosophy.
Everyday worldview
This attitude is formed by itself in each person and is the core of common sense. The peculiarities of the worldview lie in the fact that its development partly depends on genetic inheritance. In the course of upbringing by parents, communication with friends and loved ones, and contact with the environment, values, priorities and life attitudes are formed, which by puberty acquire the features of a very specific worldview. The characteristics of the native language and the degree of its assimilation, as well as labor and tool activity, are of utmost importance in this process.
Historical worldview
In history, the types of worldview remain the same - mythological, religious and philosophical. For those who are interested in what kind of worldview there is, it is worth saying that the first was a myth - a fictitious plot, a figment of the people's imagination. Religion is closely related to mythology: both of them presuppose the presence of a mythological system and provide for the basis of myths on faith. Philosophy acts as a special way of cognition, because what a worldview is is a theory or science that studies the fundamental principles of being and knowledge.
conclusions
The entire history of mankind has been accompanied by two groups of knowledge. Some knowledge was available to everyone, while others were available to a narrow management circle. In order to retain managerial powers, this circle purposefully maintained illiteracy and the inadequacy of society’s worldview. Thus, society was dependent on a group of people.
Plutarch also described the indignation of Alexander the Great regarding the publication by Aristotle, his teacher, of certain philosophical teachings. Alexander, in a letter to Aristotle, pointed out the mistake of promulgating teachings that were intended for selected people.
Aristotle responded with a reassuring letter. He published only part of the teachings, which, without additional explanations, cannot be fully perceived by the people. There are so many texts that are impossible for ordinary people to understand without explanatory keys to them.
Francis Bacon observed nineteen centuries later that knowledge is power. This suggests that there has always been a group of people who had a more perfect worldview.
How to change your worldview?
Worldview can undergo changes as a person grows up and acquires new knowledge. It often happens that after some event people completely change their lives and their views on it. Inveterate atheists become churchgoers, and experienced businessmen drop everything and retire to some quiet place. A person’s worldview can be improved, striving for moral ideals, learning new things, communicating with different people, and traveling. You need to read a lot - psychological, philosophical literature.
Spiritual aspect
It used to be that people were individuals who had spiritual experiences throughout their lives. Modern sciences come to the conclusion that man is a spirit gaining experience in a physical body. Today, more and more attention is being paid to studying the relationship between the Creator and his creation.
The spiritual worldview of people is built on the acceptance or denial of God. Harmony is based on:
- love for the world in general;
- acceptance of current events as a manifestation of divine will;
- connecting to the energy of love through prayer;
- realization of one’s own life through its harmonious living;
- a balanced state in all areas of life.
In the absence of spiritual development, people are filled with resentment, adversity, illness and misunderstanding of the meaning of life.
Worldview of modern man
During the collapse of the USSR, an ideological crisis arose, which was a consequence of the collapse of ideals and new ones that did not have time to form. In the era of consumption, characteristic of the present time, such moral guidelines as duty, honor, responsibility have lost their meaning. “You deserve it,” everyone hears from the TV screens and strives to live up to it. The modern worldview in the era of globalization is to reduce the importance of national culture and alienate its values.
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People began to see the meaning of life in receiving pleasure. The connection with the native land and ancestors is lost; relationships in marriage and the principles of raising children have become different. At the same time, an increasing number of people are becoming aware of the need for change. The worldview in psychology has become more humanistic. A person wants to be in harmony with himself, nature and other people. The number of churches, charities and environmental organizations is growing.
Types
There are several types of perception of the world, each of which is inherent in a certain person, with his level of development of views, characteristics, emotions, actions, values, feelings. Types of worldview, without exception, affect every aspect of a person’s life, his spiritual world, feelings and thoughts. All of them help to adapt to a given situation and contribute to the acquisition of new skills and abilities. In some cases, one individual may have several types of worldview at once - it all depends on his desire to improve himself.
Types of worldviews distinguished in the modern world: everyday, mythological, scientific, humanistic. Philosophical and historical are also highlighted. And there is one more type, which we will consider in more detail - this is a religious worldview.
Scientific perception
This type relies entirely on precise thoughts, specifics, facts, devoid of subjectivity. A person who has a scientific worldview is rational, calculating and cold. It so happens that science, philosophy and history have an inseparable connection and numerous common aspects. However, the scientific type of vision of the world allows us to find reasonable answers to every inexplicable phenomenon, in contrast to the historical type, which includes myths and legends.
Religion is an integral part of worldview
There has long been an invisible struggle between religion and science. Scientific research allows humanity to develop and overcome diseases, while religious knowledge enriches the inner world and helps to survive negative moments in life. The religious worldview is one of the strongest and most effective types of perception of the world. This is explained by the fact that belief in a supernatural, strong being, possessing limitless knowledge, and also controlling moral standards, will, knowledge and physical capabilities of a person, allows you to throw off some of the responsibility for your actions. In addition, faith forces an individual to struggle with difficulties and move forward, gathering groups of like-minded people.
