Answer

  Worldview Analysis and Personal Inventory

Worldview entails the values, beliefs, attitudes, and expectations regarding the world that surround us, which inform our actions and thoughts. It is expressed in scientific beliefs, philosophy, ethics, and religion, among other approaches. This paper entails a reflection regarding worldview in various aspects. These include the difference between the Christian and postmodern relativism in the nature of spirituality and ethics, the concept of scientism and arguments against it, ultimate reality, nature of the universe, definition of human beings, knowledge, basis of ethics, and the purpose of my existence.

Christian and Postmodern Relativism of the Nature of Spirituality and Ethics

The Christian perspective of spirituality and ethics draws the concepts from the Christian Bible and the teachings of Christ. According to Mele and Fontrodona (2017), spirituality is a Hebrew term that means spirit, breath, and wind. This is interpreted as giving life and animation to a specific aspect. In the Christian perspective of spirituality, God is the ultimate concern, who is revealed in Christ. Christian fellowship requires Christ fellowship and one living through the Holy Spirit and in Christ. Spirituality further entails the person as a whole, which encompasses the mind, body, soul, and relationships. Further, Christianity is about knowing and experiencing God.

In the Christian perspective of ethics, the core virtue and principle is the love for one’s neighbour and God. Ethics transcends making decisions regarding right and wrong to include the Ten Commandments. Notably, spirituality informs one’s ethics, and the two are essential in making healthcare decisions. In the healing concept, patients do not entirely believe in orthodox medication, but the power of Christ in their recovery. While physicians’ ultimate goal is to cure patients, the latter is hopeful for achieving this aim.

Postmodernism relativism perspective explains that truth is not fixed by external reality. Instead, the decision is made by individuals for themselves. Further, truth is dynamic across various matters, including reality, spirituality, and morality. Truth is also contradictory. People are characterized by paradigms and they think and look at things differently to formulate truths that apply to them (Salladay, 2000). In healthcare, healing is centered on an individual’s wellness instead of the disease. In a patient’s recovery, healing is centered on establishing one’s reality through atonement. Healthcare providers are, therefore, prompted to empower patients to develop an individual’s healing through adjustments of the spirit, psyche, and body, which constitute the healing energy. 

Scientism and main Arguments against

The scientism concept applies to various positions regarding science. The concept notes that legitimate questions regarding reality are those responded to by science. To that extent, anything about reality can be described. Science, therefore, provides this knowledge. In the basics of scientism, the concept entails trust in the efficacy of natural science approaches that can be applied across all investigation areas, including social sciences, philosophy, and humanities (Lowney, 2020). However, scientism faces criticism in two core contexts of morality and philosophy.

The first primary argument against science being the foundation of knowledge to every aspect is based on moral questions. Notably, there exists a significant gap in empirical science responding to a moral dilemma. Morality entails what ought to be or not. Science, on the other hand, appears to answer what is the case using empirical evidence. Science, therefore, fails to rationally support the moral conclusions regarding what ought to be or not. Science only cannot provide this conclusion.

The second argument against scientism is centered on philosophy. Philosophical concerns are partly conceptual instead of empirical or scientific. On the other hand, scientific inquiry is based on various philosophical assumptions. They include the existence of an objective world that is external to the scientists’ minds, and the world being governed by regularities that may be captured in scientific laws. However, justification of these assumptions occurs in a circle, which requires vantage points to validate. The contradiction in these vantage points is based on the argument that only science can explain the objective reality, which is not entirely true since some concepts of reality are explained using philosophy, such as the universe. Besides, empirical science cannot fully shed light on the epistemological and metaphysical questions, which can be described by philosophy. 

Personal Worldview

Ultimate Reality

I believe that God is the ultimate reality. In my perspective, God created the universe, and through his son Jesus Christ, He directs us to do what is right. I also consider God as the most powerful and the reason why everything exists (Meister, 2014). Through the Bible, God is present everywhere (omnipresent) and all-knowing (omniscient). Through God, all things were made. Human beings are, therefore, answerable to the supreme, who is God. I am required to honour, submit, and obey God according to the laws established in the Bible, such as the Ten Commandments. As human beings, we are created in the image of the ultimate reality, God, and we share most of his characteristics, such as creativity, morality, and thinking capacity. In my perspective, my worth as a human being is not centered on the public acclaim, possessions, attractiveness, or achievements. Instead, my value is based on being created in God’s image, and life is the most precious thing, which God gives me.

Nature of the Universe

The nature of the universe is related to God as the ultimate reality. As God’s creation, I am sufficient proof that God exists and is the force behind the creation of the universe. As a Christian believer, God created the universe in seven days, and man was the last thing he created before resting on the seventh day. Human beings are created as God’s children and are given knowledge by God to transform the world and improve its functionality. I believe that the universe is open to various aspects, from divine intervention and miracles to scientific knowledge, which emanates from God’s wisdom. Through aspects such as artificial intelligence, human beings can transform and enhance the world (Song & Isaacson, 2018). The universe is created to accommodate every creature, including human beings and animals, and the knowledge that God has given us is essential to maintain the universe and enhance the quality of living.   

What is a Human Being?

In my perspective, a human being has a definable nature as God’s creation. As a Christian, I believe that the first human being was Adam and his helper Eve. We are, therefore, descendants of these two and that we are created in God’s image and likeness. Although we do not share all characteristics with God, my perspective is that we are like the ultimate reality in several ways. These include being creative, rational, free, friendly, and the potential of having a relationship with our creator (Clauson, 2015). These aspects are essential when we consider how human beings can serve God, and we are stewards of his creation. The worth and value of a human being are reflected in the creativity and the intelligence given to us to take care of the universe and improve the world to be a better place. This is achieved by the human brain, which is unique. I also acknowledge that knowledge has its challenge, as reflected in the first sin of eating the forbidden fruit, which makes human beings suffer.

What is Knowledge?

Knowledge entails the familiarity or awareness of ideas, objectives, approaches to accomplishing things, and achieving the intended objectives. In my perspective, I acknowledge three elements that describe knowledge. First, it is the mental representation or human beings’ belief regarding the state of affairs, second, knowledge corresponds to the state of affairs that are actual, which implies that it is true, and third, that empirical and logical elements legitimize knowledge. A key characteristic of knowledge is its justification, where the ideas should have a foundation, be coherent, and reliable. I consider knowledge as vital in one’s success and the human beings’ achievement of their responsibility to taking care of the universe. Human beings were, therefore, given the brain, which helps in conceptualizing ideas and making informed decisions based on knowledge. The memory thus serves an important purpose of storing knowledge for later use. Acquiring knowledge can either be through experience and learning. I also believe that learning is a continuous process.

Basis of Ethics

As a Christian, I believe that ethics are founded on the primary commandment of God of love. From this law, other directives emanate. Love encompasses treating people with respect, fairness, and avoiding harm. My actions are, therefore, guided by treating others the same way that I should like to be treated. These basics reflect on the four principles of bioethics, which include justice, autonomy, beneficence, and non-maleficence (Drake & Yu, 2016). Our spirituality informs the fundamentals of ethics. Human beings are guided by the Bible, which contains God’s teachings. One’s actions are, therefore, guided by these teachings, which transcend an understanding of what is right or wrong to include just actions and those that bring out the humanity in us. Examples include avoiding corruption and not driving under the influence of alcohol. Notably, ethics is vital in both our personal and professional lives.

My Purpose of Existence

As God’s creation, I believe that everyone has a purpose, and throughout our lives, we are tasked with understanding this importance. I believe that my purpose is to use my knowledge and abilities to serve people according to the ultimate reality’s directions. As a servant of God and one who lives according to the teachings of the Bible, my purpose is to contribute to the transformation of the world while acknowledging God’s laws and commandments. I should live like Christ, and my actions should reflect humanity and my Christian perspective of spirituality and ethics. Primarily, my purpose is to help others, learn in the process, and engage with society on ways to transform and maintain God’s creation.

In summary, the Christian perspective of ethics and spirituality is informed by the Bible and the teachings of Christ. Postmodernism relativism perspective, on the other hand, argues that the truth is not fixed by external reality but is dynamic. Scientism involves explaining everything using empirical science, which is challenged by the inability to explain the moral and philosophical questions.