My Worldview

I use the term Worldview or Weltanschauung, rather than LifeVIEW, since it is the common term used in philosophy and psychology. Worldview is an umbrella term that describes a general understanding or orientation used as a broad frame or “lens” to make sense of experience, which may include descriptive (what is) and prescriptive (what should be) elements, which I preclude. My top level worldview map, Figure 1, begins with the question of ultimate reality. The paths lead to four philosophical and religious doctrines on the nature of reality. My view of reality (shown in red) leads to scientific reductionism, which is the belief that the whole can be understood by reduction to its most basic parts.

My Worldview is a set of presuppositions, beliefs, and values that are used to perceive and interpret experiences and form opinions, attitudes, and behavior.

Presupposition

• The world and universe are knowable and discoverable.

• We are each unique individuals with unique cognitive, intrapersonal and interpersonal dimensions.

• Human beings are a problem solving species.

Beliefs

• Self-authorship is essential to maintain effective citizenship in a democracy. Self-authorship is the capacity to

1. Internally define, through education, and maintain, through lifelong learning, a coherent belief system and identity, consisting of the cognitive (thinking and epistemology), the intrapersonal (personality) and interpersonal (relationships) that coordinates mutual relations with others, and to

2. Utilize this belief system and identity to make, justify, support and defend decisions and positions.

I recommend Authoring Your Life: Developing Your INTERNAL VOICE to Navigate Life’s Challenges by Marcia B. Baxter Magolda to further explore this concept.

• Truths are the most complete, plausible, and compelling understanding of “issues” on the basis of the available evidence; justified probabilistically on the basis of a variety of interpretive considerations, such as the weight of the evidence, the explanatory value of the interpretations, the risk of erroneous conclusions, consequences of alternative judgments, and the interrelations of these factors; and are reevaluated when relevant new evidence, perspectives, or tools of inquiry become available.

• I believe American society is effectively divided into two coalitions. The Transformative Coalition is trying to build something without exact modern precedent: a true multi-racial democracy that provides a voice to all its citizens. The Restorative Coalition is trying to return to a democracy controlled by the white race and their supporters. The two coalitions are geographically split between Rural and Urban areas of the country. The Transformative Coalition, being younger and better educated look to form a democracy for all citizens while the Restorative Coalition, being older and less well educated looks to retain a democracy that allows them to retain power even as their relative share of the vote decreases. The core primal values of the two coalitions are significantly different.

Values

• I place a high value on logical thought, the pursuit of knowledge and scientific exploration. I learn for the sake of learning.

• Ethically, I make choices based on my own personal beliefs, even if those beliefs are not in accordance with laws or social convention. I may challenge a rule if it seems totally pointless or silly to me.

• What I do in life is more important than whether I enjoy it. I am not an entertainer, nor do I need to have a good time. I have fun being creative.

• I believe in the value of hard work and am seldom idle.

• My work is my life, which may sometimes mean that other priorities, like social relationships, take a backseat.

• I can empathize with others, but don't do so consistently.

What Do I Envision?

• Sometime after 2040, the United States will have a true multi-racial democracy that provides a voice to all its citizens when people of color will constitute a majority of the United States population, regardless of immigration and citizenship requirements. Until that time the struggle between the Transformative and Restorative Coalitions will continue.

• The world will continue move in the direction of increased secular and emancipative values.

• The number of self-authoring individuals will increase as the number college graduates increases to support society as it becomes more technologically complex.