PHI 413 Topic 1 Assignment: Worldview Analysis and Personal Inventory Paper

PHI 413 Topic 1 Assignment: Worldview Analysis and Personal Inventory Paper

PHI 413 Topic 1 Assignment: Worldview Analysis and Personal Inventory Paper

            Individuals perceive the world distinctly based on different aspects. There are a host of factors that may influence how people perceive the world and analyze what ensues around them. They include culture, socio-political environment, religion, and personal life encounters. A worldview characterizes a mental representation of reality. It involves an inclusive construction of attitudes and ideas about oneself, the world, and life. It also entails a system of principles and a system of individually modified presumptions of the world and how it operates. The worldview that this assignment will focus on is the Christian worldview. The Christian worldview is founded on the teachings, principles, and values of Jesus Christ (Canda et al., 2019). According to this worldview, God is the creator of all things in the universe including moral values and standards. Deviation from the Biblical teaching, values, and standards is regarded as a sin. This paper aims to discuss the Christian perspective of the nature of spirituality and ethics in contrast to the perspective of postmodern relativism within health care. The paper will also explain scientism and describe two of the main arguments against it. Moreover, various worldview questions will also be addressed.

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The Christian Perspective of the Nature of Spirituality and Ethics in Contrast to the Perspective of Postmodern Relativism within Health Care

            According to the Christian perspective, spirituality entails believing in God who is a higher being. Christians believe that God is the creator of human beings and all creatures and He is the giver of good health and disease. This worldview teaches that God has control over anything. He has the power over diseases and can restore good health without necessarily seeking medical care. Christians believe that sickness is authorized by God as a test of faith in Him, punishment, or to let human beings discover His supernatural powers (Canda et al., 2019). Such powers were manifested in the Biblical story of Job. As such, Christians believe that they can seek God’s intervention during sickness through prayers and get healed without seeking medical interventions. On the other hand, the Christian perspective of ethics is anchored on the notion of objective morality. According to Christians, it is God’s Will that human beings should always strive for good and avoid evil actions (Nicolaides, 2020). This idea informs the basis of the greatest commandment in the Bible that people should love their neighbor as they love themselves. Christians also advocate for truth, which is a crucial ethical value in healthcare. Ethics influence various Christian values in nursing including caring, compassion, and unconditional love for all patients irrespective of their backgrounds.

            As opposed to the Christian worldview, postmodern relativism characterizes a cynical perspective of well-being and disease. This philosophy argues that truth can be established devoid of any specific belief system (Himmelfarb, 2019). It advances the objectivity of science and scientific facts in the treatment of patients. This worldview would question nursing and medical interventions in the treatment of disease since every action cannot be certain and their value is relative. It implies that this worldview holds that nothing is certain in healthcare. As such, the perception of diseases in healthcare and how they are addressed is based on the perception of the person looking at them.

Scientism and Arguments Against it

            Scientism characterizes the perception that science is the only way to obtain and address problems in the world including diseases and their treatment. Moreover, all the occurrences in the entire universe can only be explained through science.  This notion implies that real knowledge can only be informed by science (Rosenberg, 2020). However, scientism differs from science in the sense that scientism is a theoretical perspective that does not explain nature but scientific tools and the related limitations of scientific understanding.

            There are various arguments against scientism. One, scientism cannot provide insightful knowledge about all occurrences and objects in the world. That is, scientific tests cannot establish and prove all phenomena (Burnett, 2020). For instance, science has failed to establish the physiology behind emotions, morality, free will, spirituality, or right and good as well as functions of the brain. Also, there are several parts of the brain whose functions cannot be explained by science. As such, science is still unable to conclusively explain various phenomena including the ones that touch crucial aspects of human lives. The second criticism of scientism is that it is more self-contradictory (Burnett, 2020). This argument is founded on the fact that the central principle of scientism is that everything must be scientifically tested or supported to be proven as true or existing. However, the notion of the value of scientism itself cannot be appraised scientifically or supported by science. As such, this criticism holds that science cannot justify the relevance of scientism as a philosophy.

Ultimate Reality

            I believe that the ultimate reality comes in two forms that Christians and other people with different worldviews can easily identify with. The first form of ultimate reality is what I can observe, touch, and feel. For instance, living things need food for survival and a human being can only give birth to a child, not a calf. The other form of ultimate reality relates to spirituality. As a Christian, the ultimate reality is in a divine concept and it is a reality that does not involve the processes of the physical world (Christian, 2020). For instance, there is God in Heaven and Jesus will come back to take His people to New Jerusalem. As such, I believe that ultimate reality entails both physical and spiritual nature.

Nature of the Universe

            Like the ultimate reality, my perception of the nature of the universe is equally anchored on the physical nature and the spiritual nature. In its physical form, the universe is anything that exists in it, in whichever state, on earth, and other planets. The entire universe is vast and its nature is a mystery that is yet to be fully discovered by humans. On the spiritual aspect, I believe that the universe was created by some divine forces (Christian, 2020). For instance, the Bible says that God created the earth and everything. As a Christian, I believe that God used the same strategy to create the entire universe. 

A Human Being

            A human being is one of the living things on earth. A human being is the wisest of all creatures found on earth and is equipped with the ability to reason. Of all the creatures on earth, only human beings can sense and differentiate right and wrong and also possess the free will to choose between right and wrong. The human being was given an advanced brain over other creatures and they have used it resourcefully for various benefits and to make sense of the earth (Clayton, 2018). For instance, human beings have effectively studied their body and recognized the nature and reasons for illnesses that affect them. In turn, they have identified various interventions to address such illnesses. However, despite the superior brain, human beings have also failed in various aspects of life. Nonetheless, these special attributes of human beings over other creatures can only be illustrated through spiritual perspectives and not the existing scientific or other knowledge.

Knowledge

            I believe that knowledge is a conceptual notion whose availability can be shown but its precise existence is not known. Knowledge is not inherent at birth. People only acquire knowledge through education. This is supported by the ability of the human brain to acquire and store information obtained. However, it is beyond human beings to identify the physical location of the human brain where the knowledge is located. In fact, only assumptions have been advanced concerning the part of the brain where knowledge is located.  Therefore, knowledge is a conceptual reality that cannot be physically established. 

My Basis of Ethics

            As a Christian, my basis of ethics is anchored on a Christian worldview that stresses causing no harm to others by doing what is good to people irrespective of whether or not they have done something  harmful to me. This ethics is reinstated in the Biblical teaching of the greatest commandment of love to my neighbors.  The other basis of ethics is a desire to do justice to all by ensuring equitable distribution of resources and advocating for access to basic needs of life including healthcare needs to all irrespective of background (Hare, 2022). Another basis of my ethics is anchored on the need to ensure that everyone exercises autonomy by encouraging them to apply their free will. 

Purpose of My Existence

            On a personal level, I intend to have a full and happy life guided by morality and developing effective socialization. However, I also intend to serve a greater purpose during my existence above personal needs by serving others through nursing care and interactions with them. As a Christian, I believe in the higher calling to help and serve people in need of help. My objective is to change the lives of people, especially patients who I care for in my clinical practice. Based on Christian teachings, I believe that the primary obligation of human beings is not only to serve God but also human beings who need my help (Hare, 2022).

Conclusion

            This paper focused primarily on a Christian worldview, which is founded on the teachings, principles, and values of Jesus Christ. The paper has succinctly described the Christian perspective of the nature of spirituality and ethics against the perspective of postmodern relativism within health care. The notion of scientism has also been elaborated including the arguments against it. Finally, the paper addressed various worldview questions including ultimate reality, nature of the universe, a human being, knowledge, basis of ethics, and purpose of existence, based on the personal perspective and worldview.

References

Burnett, T. (2020). What is scientism? American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). Retrieved from https://www.aaas.org/programs/dialogue-science-ethics-and-religion/what-scientism

Canda, E. R., Furman, L. D., & Canda, H. J. (2019). Spiritual diversity in social work practice: The heart of helping. Oxford University Press, USA.

Christian, B. J. (2020). Attachment, nature, and the young child’s felt sense of God. Journal of Research on Christian Education, 29(1), 47-60. https://doi.org/10.1080/10656219.2020.1731031

Clayton, P. (2018). Religion and science: The basics. Routledge.

Hare, J. (2022). God and Morality. Encyclopedia of Religious Ethics, 41-47. https://doi.org/10.1002/9781118499528.ch4

Himmelfarb, G. (2019). Postmodernist history. In Reconstructing history (pp. 71-93). Routledge.

Nicolaides, A. (2020). Contemplating Christian ethics and spirituality for sound leadership in organisations. Pharos Journal of Theology, 101, 2020. http://hdl.handle.net/10500/26703

Rosenberg, A. (2020). Scientism Versus the Theory of Mind. Think, 19(56), 59-73. https://doi.org/10.1017/S1477175620000214

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 Assessment Description
Based on the required topic Resources, write a reflection about worldview and respond to following:

In 250-300 words, explain the Christian perspective of the nature of spirituality and ethics in contrast to the perspective of postmodern relativism within health care.
In 250-300 words, explain what scientism is and describe two of the main arguments against it.
In 750-1,000 words, answer each of the worldview questions according to your own personal perspective and worldview:
What is ultimate reality?
What is the nature of the universe?
What is a human being?
What is knowledge?
What is your basis of ethics?
What is the purpose of your existence?
Remember to support your reflection with the topic Resources.

While APA style is not required for the body of this assignment, solid academic writing is expected, and documentation of sources should be presented using APA formatting guidelines, which can be found in the APA Style Guide, located in the Student Success Center.

This assignment uses a rubric. Please review the rubric prior to beginning the assignment to become familiar with the expectations for successful completion.

You are required to submit this assignment to LopesWrite. A link to the LopesWrite technical support articles is located in Class Resources if you need assistance.

Rubric Criteria
Total
100 points
Criterion

1. Unsatisfactory

2. Less Than Satisfactory

3. Satisfactory

4. Good

5. Excellent

Personal Perspective and Worldview

Personal Perspective and Worldview

0 points

Worldview questions are not fully answered.

19.5 points

Each of the worldview questions is answered but is lacking a personal connection or clarity.

22.5 points

Each of the worldview questions is answered with personal connection.

25.5 points

Each of the worldview questions is answered clearly and with personal connection.

30 points

Each of the worldview questions is answered clearly and with deep personal insight.

Christian Perspective of Spirituality and Ethics in Contrast to Postmodern Relativism

Christian Perspective of Spirituality and Ethics in Contrast to Postmodern Relativism

0 points

Explanation of the Christian perspective of the nature of spirituality and ethics in contrast to the perspective of postmodern relativism is incomplete or insufficient.

19.5 points

Explanation of the Christian perspective of the nature of spirituality and ethics in contrast to the perspective of postmodern relativism is unclear. Explanation is not supported by topic study materials.

22.5 points

Explanation of the Christian perspective of the nature of spirituality and ethics in contrast to the perspective of postmodern relativism is clear. Explanation is not supported by topic study materials.

25.5 points

Explanation of the Christian perspective of the nature of spirituality and ethics in contrast to the perspective of postmodern relativism is clear and detailed. Explanation is supported by topic study materials.

30 points

Explanation of the Christian perspective of the nature of spirituality and ethics in contrast to the perspective of postmodern relativism is clear, detailed, and demonstrates a deep understanding of the subject. Explanation is supported by topic study materials.

Scientism and Arguments

Scientism and Arguments

0 points

Explanation of scientism or the explanations of two main arguments against scientism are inaccurate. Details are not supported.

19.5 points

Description of scientism is accurate. Explanations of two main arguments against scientism are unclear. Details are not clearly supported by topic study materials.

22.5 points

Explanation of scientism is clear. Explanations of two main arguments against scientism are clear. Details are supported by topic study materials.

25.5 points

Explanation of scientism is clear and accurate. Explanations of two main arguments against scientism are clear. Details are clearly supported by topic study materials.

30 points

Explanation of scientism is clear and accurate. Explanations of two main arguments against scientism are clear and insightful. Details are clearly supported by topic study materials.

Documentation of Sources

Documentation of Sources (citations, footnotes, references, bibliography, etc., as appropriate to assignment and style)

0 points

Sources are not documented.

3.25 points

Documentation of sources is inconsistent or incorrect, as appropriate to assignment and style, with numerous formatting errors.

3.75 points

Sources are documented, as appropriate to assignment and style, although some formatting errors may be present.

4.25 points

Sources are documented, as appropriate to assignment and style, and format is mostly correct.

5 points

Sources are completely and correctly documented, as appropriate to assignment and style, and format is free of error.

Mechanics of Writing (includes spelling, punctuation, grammar, language use)

Mechanics of Writing (includes spelling, punctuation, grammar, language use)

0 points

Surface errors are pervasive enough that they impede communication of meaning. Inappropriate word choice or sentence construction is used.

3.25 points

Frequent and repetitive mechanical errors distract the reader. Inconsistencies in language choice (register) or word choice are present. Sentence structure is correct but not varied.

3.75 points

Some mechanical errors or typos are present, but they are not overly distracting to the reader. Correct and varied sentence structure and audience-appropriate language are employed.

4.25 points

Prose is largely free of mechanical errors, although a few may be present. The writer uses a variety of effective sentence structures and figures of speech.

5 points

Writer is clearly in command of standard, written, academic English.