Classification of Worldview

1. Worldview Religious Non-religious Classification of Worldview Mythological Philosophical Scientific

2. Religious worldview Study of universal spirit God, deity, divine entity Eternal moral order Mankind, human beings Moral duty Human conduct Life and death • There is a universal spirit, god, deity or divine entity • This divinity has established an eternal moral order that, in part at least, can be known to human beings • People have the duty to follow eternal moral dictates • This human conduct has long-term (beyond individual death) significance.

3. Characteristics of Religious Worldview Consider Seen Unseen Perception of world Rality Existence Revealed text Non-revealed text • The Religious worldview considers both the world of seen and unseen. It is comprehensive in its perception of the world. It does not undermine any dimension of reality and existence • Its basis is on the scripture or ‘sacred’, revealed or non-revealed text.

4. Islam is unchangeable principle Belief system Ethical system General imparts for life Sense of responsibility For ourselves For others For God, Allah It is more stable than Scientific view Philosophical view • It is more stable than the scientific and philosophical worldview, in terms of having certain and unchangeable principles of belief system and ethical system. • The Religious worldview in general imparts to our life the sense of responsibility, meaning, and purpose. This means that life and the existence has a meaning and a purpose. Therefore, it makes our life as a responsibility towards God, and towards other people.

5. Myths or mythology Greek word Story-telling Legendary lore Folklore, myths Believed to be true Using supernatural For interpretation of Nature, events, universe, humanity • The word mythology (from the Greek mythología, meaning "a story-telling, a legendary lore") refers to a body of folklore/myths/legends that a particular culture believes to be true and that often use the supernatural to interpret natural events and to explain the nature of the universe and humanity.

6. Kafir belief on Quran Quran is The tale of Their ancestors Or ancient tales • "وَ إِذَا تُتْلَى عَلَيْهِمْ آيَاتُنَا قَالُوا قَدْ سَمِعْنَا لَوْ نَشَاءُ لَقُلْنَا مِثْلَ هَذَا إِنْ هَذَا إِلاَّ أَسَاطِيرُ الأَوَّلِينَ" (الأنفال: 31) • When our Signs are rehearsed to them, they say: we have heard this (before): if we wished, we could say (words) like these: these are nothing but tales of the ancients.

7. Kafir belief on Quran They believe to be dust, bone when they die, Quran said the same story to their fathers • "قَالُوا أَئِذَا مِتْنَا وَكُنَّا تُرَابًا وَعِظَامًا أَئِنَّا لَمَبْعُوثُونَ لَقَدْ وُعِدْنَا نَحْنُ وَآبَاؤُنَا هَذَا مِنْ قَبْلُ إِنْ هَذَا إِلا أَسَاطِيرُ الأَوَّلِينَ" (المؤمنون: -8283) • They say: What! When we die and become dust and bones, could we really be raised up again? Such things have been promised to us and to our fathers before! They are nothing but tales of the ancients!

8. Philosophical worldview Fundamental questions of life of here and hereafter Philo uses logical reasoning Deduction, induction, mathematic speculation Dealing with philosophical metaphysical Wider than scientific worldview • It derives from philosophy and it means to deal with fundamental questions of life here and hereafter. • It uses logical reasoning, deduction, induction , mathematic and speculation. • The Philosophical worldview is more wider in its scope than the scientific worldview. It deals with issues of philosophical and metaphysical world.

9. Philosophical worldview Giving meaning of creation life existence of science Have some sense and meaning Finding are not precise nor measurable like science wv Have some idea beyond their physical world • It attempts to give a meaning to creation and life. It does not have the exactness of sciences but it instills in ourselves a sense and meaning. • Its results and findings are not precise and measurable like scientific worldview’s but they open new ways for human beings to think beyond their physical world.

10. Main Characteristics of Philosophical WV More comprehensive thsn SWV Physical Metaphysical realities Deal entire universe and mankind SV deals only part of Universe and mankind • It is more comprehensive than the scientific worldview, because it deals with physical and metaphysical realties. • If scientific worldview deals only with certain part of the universe, the Philosophical worldview deals with the entire existence and the universe.

11. Modernity paradigm shift from religious worldviews to secular worldviews 17 century age of reason Francis Bacon, Pascal, Hobbes, Galileo, Descartes, Spinoza Humanbeing – rational rational world, rational God Man can get answer through inquiry and research 18 century age of enlightenment by Berkeley, Voltaire, Hume. Rational world, reasoning No need of supernatural God Threat to identity of religion Demythologization • Philosophers call the 17th century the "Age of Reason" when the likes of Sir Francis Bacon, Pascal, Hobbes, Galileo, Descartes and Spinoza injected into the thought patterns of humanity the idea that human beings were rational and lived in a rational world which had been created by a rational God. Because God, creation and people were rational, humans could figure things out - answers would come from scientific inquiry and research. •  The 18th century is popularly called the "Age of Enlightenment" (a somewhat loaded term). Locke, Berkeley, Voltaire, Hume and others proposed ideas which led people to believe that the rational universe could be understood without reference to a supernatural God. Soon, the authority of the Bible, especially its supernatural parts, was under attack as theologians sought to "demythologize" scripture.

12. Modernity Kent, John Stewart Mill, Nietzsche, Marx, Hegel, Kierkegaard 19 century, Age of Ideology Existentialism Frederick, seizing political power Teaching toleration and love is for control the poor Nietzsche, power Jesus, love and forgiveness, pale enemy • Kant, John Stewart Mill, Nietzsche, Marx, Hegel and Kierkegaard ushered in the so-called "Age of Ideology", also called "existentialism", in the 19th century. Frederick Nietzsche cynically remarked that the only reason the poor and disenfranchised want justice is so that they seize political power, and the only reason the powerful teach toleration and benevolence is to keep the disenfranchised under their control. In both cases, the motive is selfishness. To Nietzsche, it was all about power - everyone is seeking to either gain or keep power over others. Because Jesus taught love and forgiveness, Nietzsche called Him "the pale enemy". (Nietzsche died in an asylum after 10 years of syphilis-induced insanity.)

13. Modernity Sigmund Freud Religion, unconscious projection of humanity, guilt-induced neurosis Karl Marx Religion, powerful tool Bludgeon Submission of proletariat • Sigmund Freud taught that religion was merely the unconscious projection of a humanity trying to rid itself of guilt-induced neurosis. Karl Marx believed that religion was a tool used by the powerful to bludgeon the proletariat into continued submission. And Charles Darwin presented a seemingly reasonable alternative to special creation.

14. Modernity Sartre James, Russell Existentialism, Age of Analysis Life is no more absurd Desire to analyze Religion is universally not applicable An unnecessary evil Religion is to oppress the poor and down When science can explain the existence why we need religion • 20th century philosophers like Sartre, James and Russell, continued the path set by their predecessors, stretching existentialism into the "Age of Analysis". The belief that life is absurd and cannot be understood was gradually replaced by the desire to analyze, delve into the mystery which is man and develop individualistic philosophies which are relative to each person, rather than universally applicable. • These influences combined to form the modern view that religion is an unnecessary evil. Religion has been used by the up and in to oppress the down and out, and, if our existence can be explained without it, why do we need it?

15. Scientific worldview Based on finding Source of all explanations Issues of creation, life, men Materialism Logical Positivism Empiricism, experimental skepticism • It is based on the premises and findings of science, • Science is the source of all explanations pertaining to the issues of creation, life, men, and other issues • Based on 4 important foundations: • Materialism, logical positivism, empiricism, skepticism

16. The main steps of scientific method Identification Observation Hypotheses Assumptions Data collection Test of hypotheses Rejection Modification replacement Till it become correct one • Identify the problem or question through observation • Propose hypotheses and assumptions that should explain the problem posed • Collect data and information • Test the hypotheses. If any of hypotheses are wrong  reject it, or modify it, or replace it until you get the correct one.

17. The main steps of scientific method Hypotheses test correct Provides full explanation Repeat the test if true Construct scientific theory If theory stands resists it become scientific law The fact can remain long period When human understanding develop can be again questioned Again research repeat the same • If your hypotheses are correct. You accept and provide a full explanation of the problem. Repeat the test in similar situations and if the result is the same, then you may proceed to construct a scientific theory. The latter provides a consistent and rational explanation of the phenomenon or the problem. If this scientific theory stands and resists many tests, then it becomes scientific law. • The fact usually remains intact for long period of time but they can be questioned with development of human understanding and the new data and tool of research. And once a fact is questioned the process of research takes the same course as mentioned above.

18. Positive and Negative Aspects of Scientific Method Research finding Experimental Empirical Exact Authentic Verified Through statistic mathematics and measurement Only goof for Certain part of our existence physical world Not good for interpretation of metaphysical world • Because it is based on experiment and empirical research, its findings are more exact and authentic and they can be verified through using statistic, mathematics, and measurement. • However, these exact results only apply to a certain part of our existence, the physical world. The scientific worldview cannot give us exact and authentic knowledge or interpretation of the metaphysical world.

19. Positive aspect Comprehensive consistent explanation for entire world Good for producing knowledge reason • Therefore, the scientific worldview is not capable of providing comprehensive and consistent explanation of the entire world. • The Scientific worldview is very important, because it allows human reason to exercise its ability and to produce knowledge in many fields.

20. Positive Impact Allow discover Many laws Pattern of God in Universe Aql and sense Source of knowledge Revelation is not accepted • The Scientific worldview also allows man to discover many laws and pattern of God in the universe. • However, the scientific worldview passes its limitation when it gives human senses and reason a role beyond their capacities. In scientific worldview, Aql and senses become the only source of knowledge that can be accepted; any other source including revelation cannot be accepted.

21. Enable Human Building industries Science Technology Exploitation of Nature Discover laws • Scientific worldview enabled the human mind to produce industries, sciences and technologies. It opened many ways for human mind to exploit nature and discover its laws.

22. Negative Impacts Fail to protect Man and nature Undermines moral, ethical Religious factors SWV uses reason, experiment, Nature, sense, human experience Provide guidance to people Answer their questions Unable to discover Sense and role of morality • However, the scientific worldview failed to protect man and nature from destruction. One of the main reasons of this attitude of scientific worldview is because it undermines the moral, ethical, and religious factors. • According to the scientific worldview, the only sources of knowledge are reason, experiment, nature, senses, and human experience. It does not consider revealed knowledge as a source of knowledge that can provide guidance to people and answer their questions. In this sense, the scientific worldview was unable to discover the sense and role of morality in human life.

23. Philosophy of nature and value Bertrand Russell Philosophy of nature We, part of nature producing our desire, hopes, fears, thus Subordinated to nature Outcome of natural laws Victims of natural laws Philosophy of values Human is arbiters of values Value is part of nature If human wishes to be king Bow down to nature We need to determine good life Not for nature Not for nature personified as God The place of man in the mechanistic-materialistic view is clearly portrayed by Bertrand Russell (1872-1970) in the 1903: The philosophy of nature is one thing, the philosophy of value is quite another….Undoubtedly we are part of nature, which has produced our desires, our hopes and fears, in accordance with laws which the physicist is beginning to discover. In this sense we are part of nature, we are subordinated to nature, the outcome of natural laws, and their victims in the long run… But in the philosophy of values the situation is reversed… We are ourselves the ultimate and irrefutable arbiters of values and in the world of value Nature is only a part…In this realm we are the kings, and we debase our kingship if we bow down to Nature. It is for us to determine the good life, not for nature – not even for Nature personified as God.

24. Scientific WV Fail to give meaning to life and existence Give power of controlling nature Should have a new approach Involve values, moralities, ethics • Therefore, the scientific worldview failed to give meaning to life and existence. It only gives power of controlling nature, but it lacks the sense of meaning to our life. Therefore, the scientific worldview should adopt new approaches which involve values, moralities, and ethics in the process of scientific research.