A version of this paper was presented at the 2008 South Atlantic Philosophy of Education Society Society conference on Oct 10, 2008.
You may not have noticed, but Worldview is back. The concept, which is a little more that two hundred years old, was heavily discussed by philosophers in the 1800s. Then the conversation died down. But now Worldview appears to be reasserting itself. There are books advocating for and against particular Worldviews. There are organizations devoted in developing facilitating improved Worldviews. The field of education has recognized Worldview as well. In an essay devoted to understanding generation differences in students Comes (2004) asserts, “two powerful forces – history and popular culture—play an important role in shaping the values, beliefs, attitudes and worldviews of individuals and groups.” (Coomes, 18, emphasis mine). Unfortunately, there is no elaboration as to what is a student’s Worldview, and how it is different than a student’s values, beliefs, and attitudes. Researchers are now using Worldview to measure student behavior. It even has been the subject of some recently published studies. In 2007 the results of research (Coll, Zalaquett) concerning the relationship between students and their satisfaction with their advising revealed that students who had a similar worldview as their advisor were more satisfied with the advice they received. In June of this year, a study (Coll, Draves) was published linking university students’ optimism to their worldview.
So, Worldview is back, which begs certain questions. What is Worldview? How is it formed? and What does it have to do with learning? The New Oxford American Dictionary simply defines Worldview as “a particular philosophy of life or conception of the world.” So is Worldview philosophical? a “Philosophy-Lite,” one might say? Earlier, I mentioned the assertion that history and popular culture shape worldview. Is Worldview then a cultural product, like technology? Is it a commodity that is consumed? The two studies I mentioned used Assessment Instruments developed by psychologists. Is Worldview a new taxonomy of personality? A Myers-Briggs for the 21st century?
My thesis is that Worldview is best understood as reflection of the deepest commitments of an individual. These commitments work to shape a person’s life, and, they, in turn, are shaped by a person’s life. These commitments may be consciously or unconsciously held. However, because of the very nature of commitment, Worldview speaks of one’s faithfulness to a particular vision of reality. It is my position that this definition of Worldview helps explains the ongoing debate concerning Epistemology. However, this view uniquely gives dignity to both sides of the epistemic debate. It validates many of the Postmodern indictments concerning the Enlightenment, while at the same time, raising significant issues for Postmodernists to address.
In this series I shall summarize the major conflict between Modern Epistemologies, contrasting Enlightenment with the Postmodern. I’ll follow with a history of Worldview, demonstrating that the history of the concept reflects the epistemic commitments of the philosopher and the era. Finally, I’ll conclude with some implications for educators.
Worldview is back
Worldview: Bridging Enlightenment and Postmodern Epistemologies
You may not have noticed, but Worldview is back. The concept, which is a little more that two hundred years old, was heavily discussed by philosophers in the 1800s. Then the conversation died down. But now Worldview appears to be reasserting itself. There are books advocating for and against particular Worldviews. There are organizations devoted in developing facilitating improved Worldviews. The field of education has recognized Worldview as well. In an essay devoted to understanding generation differences in students Comes (2004) asserts, “two powerful forces – history and popular culture—play an important role in shaping the values, beliefs, attitudes and worldviews of individuals and groups.” (Coomes, 18, emphasis mine). Unfortunately, there is no elaboration as to what is a student’s Worldview, and how it is different than a student’s values, beliefs, and attitudes. Researchers are now using Worldview to measure student behavior. It even has been the subject of some recently published studies. In 2007 the results of research (Coll, Zalaquett) concerning the relationship between students and their satisfaction with their advising revealed that students who had a similar worldview as their advisor were more satisfied with the advice they received. In June of this year, a study (Coll, Draves) was published linking university students’ optimism to their worldview.
So, Worldview is back, which begs certain questions. What is Worldview? How is it formed? and What does it have to do with learning? The New Oxford American Dictionary simply defines Worldview as “a particular philosophy of life or conception of the world.” So is Worldview philosophical? a “Philosophy-Lite,” one might say? Earlier, I mentioned the assertion that history and popular culture shape worldview. Is Worldview then a cultural product, like technology? Is it a commodity that is consumed? The two studies I mentioned used Assessment Instruments developed by psychologists. Is Worldview a new taxonomy of personality? A Myers-Briggs for the 21st century?
My thesis is that Worldview is best understood as reflection of the deepest commitments of an individual. These commitments work to shape a person’s life, and, they, in turn, are shaped by a person’s life. These commitments may be consciously or unconsciously held. However, because of the very nature of commitment, Worldview speaks of one’s faithfulness to a particular vision of reality. It is my position that this definition of Worldview helps explains the ongoing debate concerning Epistemology. However, this view uniquely gives dignity to both sides of the epistemic debate. It validates many of the Postmodern indictments concerning the Enlightenment, while at the same time, raising significant issues for Postmodernists to address.
In this series I shall summarize the major conflict between Modern Epistemologies, contrasting Enlightenment with the Postmodern. I’ll follow with a history of Worldview, demonstrating that the history of the concept reflects the epistemic commitments of the philosopher and the era. Finally, I’ll conclude with some implications for educators.