Worldview: what is it - a detailed example, types, structure

What is a worldview?

Worldview is a system of views, assessments and ideas about the world, formed on the basis of factual knowledge, life experience, moral, moral, philosophical and other value judgments.
This concept combines factual knowledge and all kinds of beliefs. In this case, we can talk about both the worldview of an individual and the worldview of a social group or other community. Despite its pronounced subjective nature, it, as a rule, has historical and social conditionality. A person’s worldview is formed and developed throughout life. Initially, it is strongly influenced by emotional judgments, but over the years it becomes more conscious.

There are two levels of worldview:

Ordinary. At this level, worldview is built through sensory cognition based on everyday emotions and experiences.
Rational. This is a more meaningful level. It is based on rational cognition, so it is formed in people with developed critical thinking.

The most important characteristic of a worldview is its integrity. Despite the fact that it is a complex system of views, its elements are always brought to some “common denominator”. If some new information appears that does not fit into the worldview, an explanation is invented for it that allows the contradiction to be eliminated, after which the worldview again becomes an integral system.

Subject of philosophy. The place of philosophy in the system of sciences and culture

The term philosophy comes from the combination of two Greek words phileo - love and sophia - wisdom and means love of wisdom.

Philosophy as a method and form of spiritual activity originated in India and China, but reached its classical form in Ancient Greece. The term philosophy was first used by Plato to designate a special field of knowledge. At first, philosophy included all knowledge about the world.

The growing need to obtain knowledge and the expansion of the scope of its application in practice stimulated an increase in its volume and diversity and led to the differentiation of knowledge, expressed in the emergence of various sciences. The decomposition of unified knowledge into separate sciences, which began in the period of antiquity, did not mean the disappearance of philosophy. On the contrary, there is a need for a special section of knowledge that could act as a means of integrating knowledge and a way to develop the most general principles and norms of cognitive and transformative activity of people. Gradually, philosophy focused its attention on theorizing the most general ideological problems of nature, society and thinking, trying to provide answers to questions about the goals and meaning of the existence of society and the individual. It is impossible to give answers to these questions, which arise in historically specific conditions of life, suitable for all times and for all peoples. People asking worldview questions sought to get answers that corresponded to their needs and level of intellectual development. Moreover, in different historical conditions, not only the set of ideological questions changes, but also their very hierarchy, as well as the nature of the desired answers to them, is transformed. This lays the foundation for the specific understanding of the subject of philosophy and its content.

It should be noted that for a long time the subject of philosophy was identified by many scientists with the subject of science as a whole, and the knowledge contained within certain sciences was considered as components of philosophy. This situation continued until the 18th century. However, in the foreground of philosophizing, various thinkers highlighted those facets of the subject of philosophy that were of primary interest to them. Often individual thinkers limited the subject of philosophical study to only a few that seemed to them the most important. In other words, it should be borne in mind that the subject of philosophy, as well as ideas about it, is formed with the development of scientific knowledge, that is, information about it is formed in the process of transformation of philosophy itself. For example, from the history of philosophy we know that the natural world was the subject of philosophy for the first ancient Greek philosophers, and later for Aristotle the whole world acted in this capacity. For the Epicureans and the later Stoics, the subject of philosophy is mainly delineated by the range of problems associated with man in the world. Christian philosophers of the Middle Ages reduced the subject of philosophy to the relationship between man and God. In modern times, problems of cognition and methodology come to the fore in the structure of the subject of philosophy. In the Age of Enlightenment, for many European philosophers, the subject of reflection again becomes a person with all his many relationships. In the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. the variety of schools and ideas in world philosophy corresponds to the richness of ideas about the nature of its subject. Currently, the subject of philosophical reflection is the natural and social world, as well as man in it as a multidimensional and multi-level system in all its abundance of connections. Philosophy studies the most general aspects, properties, trends in the development of the world, reveals the general principles of self-organization, the existence and development of the nature of society, man and his thinking, reveals the goals and meaning of human existence in the world. At the same time, modern philosophy bases its conclusions on a generalization of data from individual sciences.

The subject of philosophy also includes consideration of questions about how philosophy itself arises, develops and transforms, how it interacts with various forms of social consciousness and practice.

In other words, the entire set of the most general questions concerning the relationship between man and the world is considered as a subject of philosophy, the answer to which allows a person to optimize the realization of his needs and interests.

Example of worldview

As we have already discussed, worldview is a system of views and assessments about the world around us, people, and ourselves. Of course, the worldview is very multifaceted and concerns many aspects of life, but as an example, let’s go through the most important aspects. So, an example of a worldview:

The world around us exists according to certain laws, some of which are fair, others not quite. On the one hand, if you work and put in the effort, then everyone can achieve success. This is true. However, not everyone has equal opportunities. Due to health problems, some people have a much harder time from birth. It's not fair. But it’s impossible to change this, so all I have to do is accept these rules and try to do what I can with what I have. However, whenever possible, I believe it is necessary to help people who need it, trying to make the world a little better.
There is nothing supernatural in the world - everything functions according to rules that are explainable from the point of view of science. Science has already been able to explain much of what is happening around us, but much remains to be studied. For me, studying the world around me is of great interest; I love to comprehend the secrets of space and never cease to be amazed at the immense size of the universe.
People are divided into good and bad. Understanding who is in front of you is often difficult, and sometimes even impossible. But everything secret becomes clear - sooner or later every person reveals his true essence. Because of this, I am in no hurry to trust and open up to people until it becomes clear to me for sure that the person can be trusted.
I am a good person, but not perfect. I consider qualities such as honesty, integrity, and the ability to keep one’s promises to be among the most important qualities of a person. I try to cultivate and maintain these qualities in myself. Meanwhile, I also have a number of disadvantages, which include the desire to criticize others, teach without asking, and interfere with my advice left and right. This quality complicates my relationships with others, so I try to restrain myself.
I consider it inappropriate to search for what the meaning of life is, since you cannot find a single answer to this question, no matter how much you search. However, the lack of meaning does not make life worse. The only thing that matters is whether I am happy or not. If yes, then I'm on the right track. If not, then you need to change something in life, try something new. The main thing is to remember that every day is beautiful and unique in its own way. Every day deserves a chance to be the best you can be in life.

This example contains only a small part of what is included in the concept of worldview. The text could be continued for a long time, but you got the main idea. In simple terms, worldview is an attitude towards everything that is around and an awareness of one’s place in this world.

Characteristic features of worldview

Both individual and social worldviews are characterized by the following features:

Historical conditioning. A person’s worldview is formed on the basis of the worldview of the society in which he grew up. Thus, both the public and individual worldviews, as a rule, deeply contain the problems experienced by this society, various “historical traumas,” significant events, and so on.
Relationship with beliefs. Each person has his own life principles and beliefs, and they are always closely interconnected with his worldview. As we age, some beliefs change, and this affects our worldview. Of course, there is also an inverse relationship. New knowledge and life experiences can influence worldview, and this affects beliefs.
Dependence on emotions. Most people sincerely believe that their worldview does not in any way contradict the laws of logic and common sense. But in reality everything is somewhat different. Our worldview is formed primarily on the basis of an emotional assessment of various events that we experience ourselves or observe from the outside.
Dependence on knowledge. Factual knowledge about the surrounding reality also has a significant impact on the worldview in the process of its formation and development. For example, it changes dramatically for people who study basic psychology as they begin to better understand other people's motives (and even their own).
Possibility of active formation. In most cases, the worldview is formed passively, based on the most available information (books, television shows, serials, etc.). However, each person has the opportunity to independently seek new knowledge, making efforts to consciously shape their worldview and their individuality.

Information and communication

The communicative function exists to transfer knowledge from person to person. Information is transmitted via:

oral communication;
written communication;
saving information on various external media.

The purpose of communication is to convey the correct content of information. People who wish to become acquainted with it have the right to receive reliable knowledge. Communication regulates the adequacy of the transmitted information and its correspondence to reality.

Worldview structure

To better understand what a worldview is, let’s analyze in detail its internal structure and highlight all the elements from which it is formed:

Knowledge. There are different types of knowledge (empirical, theoretical, professional, practical). As a rule, it is the presence of real knowledge that allows a person to be confident in the correctness of his assessments when forming a worldview.
Feelings. Worldview is formed not so much in the process of cognition, but in those moments when a person evaluates events and phenomena and connects them with some feelings and emotions.
Values. This is another concept inseparable from worldview. Each person has his own individual system of values - the things to which he attaches the greatest importance. And this system serves as the prism through which he looks at the world.
Actions. Both bad and good deeds are manifestations of a worldview. For example, when committing an ugly act, a person can justify it with the belief that “the world is unfair anyway, so there is no need to try to be good.”
Beliefs. Beliefs usually refer to views about how the world around us works, how it should work, and how people should act towards each other. And this is one of the most important components of a worldview.
Character. Character has a significant impact on a person’s daily behavior, determining not only his actions, but also his reactions to external events. Therefore, it has a significant impact on how worldviews are formed and developed.

Epistemological

The task of the epistemological function is the development of the mechanism of cognition. It is important not only to explore the world around us, but also to do it correctly. An incorrect understanding of the information received leads to the formation of a distorted picture of the world. This leads to cognitive conflict and lack of adequate communication between philosophers of different schools.

Thanks to epistemology, a person explores the world in its entirety. He can distinguish and classify processes occurring in the world, give his assessment of events. Combining information about the world collected by different researchers allows us to create a full-fledged scientific knowledge base.

Components of a worldview

Worldview is usually divided into three components:

Attitude. This is the emotional component of the worldview. When interacting with the world around us, a person evaluates the events taking place, and he develops an understanding of how fair the world is to him and in general. Some people rejoice at good luck and anticipate success, while others experience the opposite feelings. Thus, according to their worldview, people are divided into pessimists, who believe the world is unfair, and optimists, who believe that the world is favorable to them.
Worldview. This component is similar to the previous one. A person can consider the world friendly or hostile, and based on this build his picture of the world. Worldview determines how a person sees others and how he positions himself. He may consider himself a winner or a loser, and those around him as friends or enemies.
Worldview. This component characterizes the level of knowledge of the surrounding world and is determined by the complexity of the images that a person can operate with. As you grow older, your worldview expands. Immediately after birth, the child perceives only the image of the mother, but later learns to perceive other people as well. Over time, the worldview expands to a city, country, planet, universe.

Varieties and examples of worldview

Depending on what things are most significant in the life of a particular person (or society), a worldview can take on different forms. Usually there are 5 varieties of it:

Ordinary. This is a worldview that is formed in every person in the process of his daily life. It is based primarily on life experience and provides simple answers to most everyday questions.
Religious. This is a worldview associated with faith and formed by those people for whom this area of life is the most significant. As a rule, they accept the views and customs characteristic of their religion and adhere to them, performing all the necessary religious actions (prayers, rituals, sacrifices). At the same time, the degree of commitment to faith is often identified with morality.
Mythological. This worldview is based on myths—fictional stories that explain reality. The main difference between mythology and religion is that it does not require a person to have faith or perform any ritual actions, but simply explains various facts and phenomena.
Scientific. People who have developed a scientific worldview usually have developed critical thinking. They tend to double-check facts and believe only what has been proven or sufficiently firmly argued. This form of worldview is based on scientific knowledge and is the most accurate. However, she does not answer all questions. In this regard, the ability to admit one’s own ignorance is one of the traits of people with a scientific worldview.
Philosophical. This worldview is built on reflections about the structure of the world, on dialogue with oneself. It is characterized by evidence, logical validity and integrity. But at the same time it is quite difficult to access for most people.

Of course, in every person, to one degree or another, all of the listed types of worldview are present, but there is always one main one that most accurately corresponds to his picture of the world and life values.

Design

Thanks to its ability to identify development mechanisms, philosophy can be used as a basis for controlling global global processes. The essence of design is the development of new standards, on the basis of which new objects will be created that regulate the life activities of people in certain areas.

The task of the design function is the economic organization of society. It forms new patterns of activity for each social stratum. The role of design is especially great in regulating activities aimed at transforming the world. The introduction of new trends can significantly accelerate the social and economic development of society.

How is a worldview formed?

To properly understand what a worldview is, it is important to know that it is not an innate feature. It is formed and developed in the process of human socialization under the influence of the social worldview dominant in a particular society. In some cases it can change quite radically.

The formation of a worldview begins in early childhood. Initially, the child does not need scientific evidence and philosophical reflection. He needs instant answers to all his questions. At the same time, he believes that adults know everything, always tell him the truth and can solve all the problems he has. Therefore, a child’s worldview can be considered ordinary with some signs of a religious one.

As a child grows up, he accumulates experience and is faced with the fact that some of his views turn out to be erroneous, including views imposed by parents, educators and other adults. his worldview expands , complemented by scientific and philosophical views. It is significantly influenced by education and the chosen specialty.

One of the most important stages in the formation of a worldview is finding one’s place in society. However, its development never ends. During the course of life, a person’s ideas about the world around him change many times; he revises his views and beliefs, abandons old values and accepts new ones. It is important to understand that the development of a worldview is a constant process that does not stop throughout a person’s life.

Ideological

Ideology is the set of interests of a particular social group. The more power a group has, the more opportunities it has to propagate and introduce its ideology into society.

Ideological interests can be of two types: reactionary and progressive. The first ones are aimed at slowing down the development process. Bone thinking is based on them: they strive to level the significance of philosophy and reduce the field of activity. The second type of interests is aimed at popularizing philosophy, the desire to show its practical significance.

What influences the formation of a worldview?

As noted above, a person’s worldview is formed throughout life under the influence of various external factors. The greatest influence is exerted by such factors as:

Environment. Of course, first of all, these are the people surrounding the child as he grows up. These are parents and other relatives, educators and mentors. For most people, environment is the most important factor. For example, believers, as a rule, adhere to exactly the religion to which their parents taught them.
Society. The worldview of society also plays an important role. As the child grows up, he largely adopts it through culture, traditions and stereotypes. His idea of his place in society, family life, success and other social aspects is formed precisely on the basis of his social worldview.
Religion. Most of the world's religions directly indicate what views a believer should adhere to, and also regulate the main aspects of personal and social life.
Education and science. A high level of education usually helps a person develop a scientific worldview. He begins to separate emotions from facts and evaluate the reliability of new knowledge.
Epoch. Worldview can be a sign of the era and temporary circumstances in which a person grows and matures. This factor has become especially significant now, in the era of accessible information and rapid development of technology. That’s why the worldview of most people now is so different from their parents’.
Profession. The main type of activity, professional knowledge and experience have a significant impact on the formation of a worldview. The best example here are the psychologists mentioned above, for whom their education and experience allow them to understand much better not only the emotions of others, but also their own.

Prognostic

The task of the prognostic direction is to create theories and predict the development of man, society and science. Forecasts are created based on the information studied. A person can analyze the events of the past and trace the consequences they led to in the present. The prognostic direction is mental and theoretical: the conclusions of forecasters cannot be immediately verified in practice; one can only wait for the fulfillment or non-fulfillment of the forecast.

The ability to predict gives humanity the opportunity to avoid global mistakes that lead to a deterioration in the quality of life. Forecasts are used in all spheres of life, but the main one is political; it determines universal human development paths.

Functions of worldview

It can be said without exaggeration that worldview determines a person’s entire life, forcing him to choose one or another path for himself when making fateful decisions. Moreover, it has 3 main functions:

Cognitive. Worldview is a source of knowledge. This knowledge is not necessarily reliable, but it allows you to quickly find answers to questions that arise.
Value-oriented. As part of this function, worldview helps a person form his own value system.
Practical. Every day we make hundreds of decisions in different areas of life, guided by our worldview.

Integrating

Philosophy is the cumulative base of human knowledge. It collects, processes, systematizes information and integrates it - distributes it into separate sections.

Also, the integrating function determines the principles of the world order. It shapes a person’s attitude towards the world, society and himself. Thanks to integration, people brought up under the influence of different value systems develop similar interaction mechanisms. In this way, individuals become a single society.