Understanding Worldviews
Worldviews are the fundamental cognitive orientation and overarching perspective through which individuals or groups interpret and interact with the world around them. This includes the beliefs, values, ethics, and principles that shape how people understand reality, make decisions, and form opinions on various aspects of life such as culture, religion, science, politics, and society.
Beliefs and Assumptions
These are the core ideas about the nature of reality, existence, and what is considered true or false.
Beliefs often stem from cultural, religious, philosophical, or scientific foundations.
Values and Ethics
Worldviews encompass the moral framework through which individuals or groups assess right and
wrong, justice and injustice, and determine what is considered important or meaningful in life.
Perception of Reality
This includes the way people perceive their environment and their place in it, whether it be the natural world, society, or the universe at large. It shapes how people understand concepts like time, space, causality, and existence.
Purpose and Meaning
Worldviews offer interpretations of life’s purpose and meaning, including human existence, the nature of consciousness, and the ultimate goals or destinations of human life.
Decision-Making Framework
A worldview acts as a guide for personal and collective decision-making, influencing choices related
to behavior, lifestyle, governance, education, and social interactions.
Cultural and Societal Impact
Worldviews are influenced by and contribute to the broader cultural and societal contexts
in which individuals exist. They shape cultural identities, social norms, traditions, and practices.
Beliefs and Assumptions
These are the core ideas about the nature of reality, existence, and what is considered true or false.
Beliefs often stem from cultural, religious, philosophical, or scientific foundations.
Values and Ethics
Worldviews encompass the moral framework through which individuals or groups assess right and
wrong, justice and injustice, and determine what is considered important or meaningful in life.
Perception of Reality
This includes the way people perceive their environment and their place in it, whether it be the natural world, society, or the universe at large. It shapes how people understand concepts like time, space, causality, and existence.
Purpose and Meaning
Worldviews offer interpretations of life’s purpose and meaning, including human existence, the nature of consciousness, and the ultimate goals or destinations of human life.
Decision-Making Framework
A worldview acts as a guide for personal and collective decision-making, influencing choices related
to behavior, lifestyle, governance, education, and social interactions.
Cultural and Societal Impact
Worldviews are influenced by and contribute to the broader cultural and societal contexts
in which individuals exist. They shape cultural identities, social norms, traditions, and practices.
Worldviews are therefore inextricably linked to the
development of human values, beliefs and behaviours
development of human values, beliefs and behaviours
“We adopt the idea that there are only two observable, essential forms of assumptions - worldviews- to choose from today. One has us as creatures that are intrinsically part of Nature, physically and spiritually. The other has separated from Nature, also physically and spiritually. Dualistic either/or thinking, which does not seek complementarity between apparent opposites, is not part of the indigenous worldview. Making comparisons between the two worldviews may therefore seem to be a contradiction. We maintain, however, that although there may be some mysterious symbiosis at play, we are at a point where either/or decisions must be made regarding which way of understanding our place in the world will best serve life systems.”
Restoring the Kinship Worldview
Wahinkpe Topa (Four Arrows) and Darcia Narvaez, PhD