Worldview: what it is, types, types and their characteristics

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The formation of personality leads to the formation of a worldview, which, in turn, arises in the process of cognition. A person, becoming a person, asks himself a series of questions: “Who am I? What is my place in the world? What is the meaning of existence and how does the universe work? The questions listed above are the path to understanding oneself and the surrounding reality, and the answers to these questions are the path to the formation of a person’s worldview, spirituality, and inner world.

Explanation of the term

We are about to talk about a complex but fundamental aspect of consciousness. To do this, we first identify what self-awareness in general is. It can belong to both a specific individual and the entire society (for example, a people), and also consists of several levels:

1. Elementary (primary ideas about oneself associated with the assessment of others).
2. Deep (more conscious understanding of one’s role in society).
3. The most difficult one.

At the third, most complex stage, a person’s worldview is located - this is the totality of knowledge, beliefs and ideas about oneself, society and the world as a whole. With its help, a person realizes himself as a part of material and spiritual reality through a generalized attitude towards it. It reflects the very essence of the individual, his ideas, views, thoughts, values, preferences that influence behavior. There is also the concept of “worldview maturity,” which can be seen by the actions of people.

Forms and factors of worldview formation

It is customary to distinguish three main forms:

1. attitude - a person’s impressions of what is happening in life, the complex of his feelings, thoughts, actions and moods. The formation of a worldview begins with it. Sensory awareness is responsible for the formation of images;
2. worldview. The concept itself includes the answer: we are talking about the perception of the world, its vision and reflection through the prism of subjective impressions and sensations. The worldview can be hostile or friendly;
3. worldview - images formed and fixed in the head about the world around us.

In this same regard, the worldview can be classified according to emotional coloring, dividing into pessimistic and optimistic.

Forming factors

1. the social environment in which the person is located;
2. the social conditions in which the individual is placed;
3. political system.

Structure

World vision includes a complex of various characteristics of the spiritual life of an individual, formed through knowledge and understanding of the world. Attitude outlines emotional and psychological issues at the level of emotions, feelings, and moods.

Worldview determines the cognitive-intellectual sphere. As such, internal attitudes and views arose in the process of humanity’s transition to the tribal community - the first stable form of social organization. This was a big leap in development.

Components of worldview

There are many types of knowledge that a person accumulates in the process of studying the universe. Everyday experience allows you to adapt to life in society and navigate it, scientific experience allows you to analyze facts of a higher rank.

Interaction with the surrounding space is accompanied by an emotional response. We don’t just look at the creations of nature, forming a dry factual idea about them, we admire and even admire them.

Another important aspect of worldview is norms and values. Sometimes they even go against common sense: in order to protect a loved one, a child, many are ready to sacrifice themselves. People act based not so much on emotions or logic, but on their own beliefs and attitudes.

Actions determine the practical level of the ideological structure. You can openly express your attitude towards the world only through specific actions. So, the worldview consists of four main components: emotional, activity, cognitive and value. All of them are interconnected and form the internal integrity of the individual.

Worldview includes knowledge, beliefs, values, ideals and other components in its structure

The concept of worldview, its structure, functions and historical types

In everyday life, every person in one way or another encounters the phenomena of good and evil, life and death, justice and injustice, thinks about questions about the meaning of his presence in the world, about the structure of the universe, about the problems of transitory existence on Earth and the possibility of eternal existence, realizes his life choice, determines the guidelines for one’s attitude towards other people, society and the world as a whole. All these and other questions are resolved by each new generation of people in specific historical conditions. The result of such a decision is the establishment of vital factors (moral norms, interests, knowledge, material and spiritual values, etc.), which serve as the basis for human behavior and activity, his attitude towards people, the world, and himself. A person understands himself, people, the world, his place in life based on his choice. The system of views and knowledge of a person about himself, about the world, about his attitude towards it and his place in it forms the basis of a worldview.

Knowledge is a set of reliable information about natural phenomena, the life of society, man himself, etc. Knowledge is the main component of a worldview. Thanks to the presence of knowledge in the worldview, it can act as a kind of symbolic model of the world, including ideas about the structure of society, about a person’s attitude towards it, as well as programs for one’s own behavior.

Beliefs represent a person’s needs, formed or formed on the basis of knowledge, to think and act in accordance with chosen life guidelines or values. The main element of beliefs are the principles or certain rules of a person’s relationship to the world, other people, various phenomena and events, and to himself. Beliefs act as an individual means of regulating relationships in society and human behavior, but they also serve as a specific compass in achieving life goals.

Since beliefs are based on values ​​(beliefs can also be explained as the conscious need to follow certain value guidelines), together they form a normative and regulatory mechanism of human life in society. Values ​​constitute the content of the principles of thinking and action.

Value is a concept that characterizes objects and processes, their properties (including ideas, knowledge) that are vital (in positive, negative and neutral meanings) for a person.

Values ​​determine the rules and way of life of a person in society. The active role of values ​​manifests itself in the form of legal, political, religious, moral and other beliefs and principles.

In the course of historical development, values ​​are constantly updated. In the life of modern society, environmental values, expressing activities to preserve nature and ensure normal natural conditions for human existence, acquire particular importance.

At all times, material and spiritual guidelines and values ​​have played a fundamental role in choosing a life position. The highest value, integrating and regulating the manifestations of other values, are ideals.

An ideal is a mentally constructed, more perfect in comparison with the present, proper state of reality to which one should strive.

Values ​​and ideals are always adjusted to the socio-economic, spiritual and, in general, specific historical characteristics of culture. Ideals are associated with resolving the contradiction between the existing economic, political, social and other conditions of human development and his constant desire to improve these conditions and himself.

An important feature of the worldview is the comparative characteristics of the phenomena of the world, the interpretation of its origin and variability. All this indicates the presence in the worldview of elements of worldview, which is based on the ability of logical, rational thinking.

A person’s attitude towards the world, events, people, himself, understanding his place and role in the connections of reality, understanding the changes taking place are always emotionally charged and experienced in a certain way. Therefore, the worldview is always formed, develops and manifests itself in the life of every person in connection with his worldview and worldview.

Worldview develops in the process of human activity, his adaptation to social and natural conditions of existence and plays an active role in a person’s practical change in the surrounding reality and himself.

In the structure of the worldview, the following interconnected components can be distinguished: 1) cognitive, based on general knowledge about the world, nature, society, and man; 2) value-based, including values, ideals, beliefs; 3) emotional-sensual, based on attitude, worldview, i.e. a certain experience of one’s rational and active attitude to the world and events in it; 4) practical, setting the content and direction of human behavior and activity in relation to nature, society, and the person himself in order to satisfy material and spiritual needs.

Worldview performs the following functions: 1) organizes and systematizes individual knowledge about nature, society, and man in order to create a generalized picture of reality; 2) forms value orientations and normative patterns of human behavior and activity; 3) accumulates cultural achievements and transmits them in the form of ideals, life goals, individual and public interests into the system of social relations; 4) activates, regulates and directs the cognitive and practical activities of people in accordance with their beliefs, ideals, and moral standards; 5) “includes” a person in the natural world and the life of society as their integral part and encourages him to act in accordance with their laws, etc.

Worldview , therefore, is not only a generalized system of knowledge about the world, society, man himself, his role and place in them, but also a set of beliefs, values, ideals, regulatory norms of behavior and human activity in his relations with the world and society.

In modern educational literature on philosophy, it is customary to distinguish five main types of worldview: mythological, religious, philosophical, everyday and scientific.

Historically, the first type of worldview is mythological . Mythology (from the Greek mifos - legend, logos - teaching) is a set of legends, tales that are formed spontaneously in the process (experience) of the everyday life of people, in whose view the world and earthly nature are controlled by supernatural forces, with which it is necessary to conform their behavior.

The characteristic features of the mythological worldview are: ideas about the organic unity and interconvertibility of man and natural phenomena; endowing natural objects with human qualities (anthropomorphism); views on similarity, the absence of boundaries between living and nonliving (hylozoism); indissolubility of sensory-figurative and rational reflection of reality, faith and knowledge (syncretism of myth).

The content of myths is formed by spontaneous ancient ideas about the supernatural, the emergence of the world and man, the struggle between the forces of good and evil, the structure of the world and the causes of natural elements, death and immortality, the possibilities and prospects of man, etc.

The most important functions of myths include:

1) the formation of collective ideas about natural and social phenomena and living conditions;

2) ensuring spiritual connection between generations;

3) accumulation, storage and transfer of knowledge;

4) regulation of relationships between humans and nature and between people;

5) socialization of a person, the formation and predetermination of his behavior and roles in primitive society.

World religions are filled with myths: Christianity, Islam, Buddhism. From myths they inherited questions of the origin of the world and man, death and immortality, good and evil, etc.

Currently, myths are not the dominant form of worldview in society, but the process of peacemaking continues in relation to misunderstood natural phenomena, in the sphere of spiritual life, politics, the system of social relations, etc.

Religion (from the Latin religio - piety, piety, shrine, object of worship) is a form of worldview according to which the development of the world is carried out through its doubling into this worldly - “earthly”, natural, perceived by the senses, and otherworldly - “heavenly”, supernatural, supersensible.

The main feature of religion is the belief in the existence of supernatural, superhuman forces, their dominant role in the universe and the lives of people. Man submits to the Divine Will in the experience of religious communion. This Will is unknowable, it does not lend itself to causal explanation. In religion, the human mind plays a subordinate role. In Christianity, love and faith are placed above reason. The main function of religion is not cognitive, but normative, consisting in a spiritual and practical attitude towards the world, God, and man on the basis of given models. These patterns are manifested in the cult as a system of established dogmas, rituals of worship of a supreme superhuman being.

Religion is the socially organized faith of human communities, a form of their worship of “higher powers.”

The functions of religion are: 1) the formation of consciousness of the unity of the human race, the significance of universal moral norms, and enduring values; 2) ethical regulation and preservation of traditions, customs, and morals; 3) reflection of the real life experience of humanity and the accumulation of ideas necessary for the harmonization of relations in society; 4) giving special saving significance to the spiritual and value side of human life and promoting the development of spirituality.

Religion also makes the object of its attention difficult to explain human qualities - anxiety, hope, the search for stable faith.

Along with the historical development of human society, its internal relations, the expansion and deepening of interaction between man and nature, the complication of spiritual and material production, the growing role of scientific knowledge, and the emergence of the state, another philosophical and theoretical form of worldview appears. The philosophical worldview is a system of the most general, rationally based theoretical ideas about the world, man, the principles of his activity and attitude to the world. As a mythological and religious, philosophical worldview examines issues of the origin, structure, future of the world and man, their relationships, good and evil, death and immortality, etc.

However, unlike mythology and religion, the philosophical worldview is built on the basis of the activity of the human mind, its cognitive activity, the production of knowledge about the universal, presupposes the development of science and represents a theoretical attitude towards the world. The religious worldview is based on traditions, the internal experience of believers, and the authority of holy books. The human mind plays a subordinate role in religion.

A feature of the philosophical worldview is that it comprehends problems common to mythology and religion not through direct analysis of certain phenomena of the world, but indirectly, through the study of various forms of culture and practice, including mythology and religion. In this way, knowledge about the universal properties of reality is formed. In finite things and particular laws, philosophical thinking discovers and discovers what is inherent in all things, all experience, all sciences. In this sense, the philosophical worldview embraces the world, culture, knowledge, and man as a whole, in their common connections and properties. A philosophical worldview as a theoretically based system of general knowledge about the world around us and man’s place in it forms the basis of a worldview as a whole, which may include features of mythological, religious, everyday and scientific views of the world. The study of philosophy helps to connect disparate fragments of the worldview into a single holistic picture.

An ordinary worldview is a body of knowledge that is formed in various spheres of human life through everyday experience of interaction with natural and social reality, as well as in the course of self-knowledge.

The scientific worldview develops along with the emergence and development of science. It includes information obtained from various scientific disciplines. The scientific worldview contains philosophical ideas and principles that perform an integrating function in relation to a variety of scientific knowledge. The main part of the content of the scientific worldview is formed by laws discovered by science, on the basis of which systems of scientific knowledge - theories - are formed. The scientific worldview includes theoretical and experimental (empirical) knowledge in its content and is a set of scientific ideas about the world and man in it.

What types does science distinguish?

Within the framework of the historical approach, there are three main types of worldview: mythological, religious, philosophical.

Initially, it was mythology that was the foundation on which the value system in society rested. It has become one of the factors determining people's behavior. Mythological presupposes an emotional and imaginative vision of reality and endowing it with fantastic properties. Emotional experience in ancient times prevailed over rational (humanity simply did not have enough of it) and reflected a person’s fear of the unknown, unusual, and unfamiliar. The inability to correctly build cause-and-effect relationships gave rise to the need to explain natural and social phenomena by turning to science fiction.

When primitiveness as a principle for building life faded into the background, religion replaced myth. Unlike mythology, it brought with it dogmatism, a clearly formulated system of values ​​and rules. Examples of “right” and “wrong”, “good” and “bad”, “permissible” and “inadmissible” appeared. Now the deepest questions of human existence (about origin, birth and death) sought their resolution in belief in the supernatural.

Later, philosophy emerges, designed to structure and systematize different views on the world, society and man. Reason, consistency of thought, logic, and argumentation come to the fore. All three types appear in modern reality. They are reflected in how we relate to certain aspects of existence and relationships.

Ways of thinking

The following ways of thinking can manifest themselves in a person’s worldview:

• Dogmatism is built on already existing dogmas, that is, rules and theories. For example, in a religious worldview, we take dogmas from religion and follow them. They guide our decisions and actions.
• Reasonable criticism - in this case we understand that worldviews can change. We question reality.
• Skepticism is when we doubt the very possibility of knowing the world or what we understand correctly. It is regular thought and reflection.

Scientific worldview

Unlike all other types, this one is based on objective knowledge about nature and man. This is a kind of highest stage in the development of philosophical thought, but with less generalization and more accuracy. This way of seeing the world is based solely on the achievements of science and human knowledge, which make it possible to create an objective image of reality, to explain the essence of personality and its role in the formation and development of existing reality. Advantages:

1. reliance on the latest discoveries;
2. connection with the real essence of things;
3. practical orientation, direct influence on people’s activities.

Flaws:

1. indifference to meanings and the spiritual sphere;
2. the interests of a person and the desire to improve his situation do not play a big role.

Definition of the concept

Worldview is usually understood as a holistic system of views on nature, society and man, the surrounding reality and the place of man himself in this system. Worldview is expressed through a system of values, through the ideals of a particular individual and a particular social group. The structure of the worldview is multi-layered.

Structural components of worldview

• knowledge;
• spiritual ideals;
• beliefs and principles;
• life values.

Worldview is formed more than once and for a lifetime in two ways:

• spontaneous;
• conscious.

Its formation occurs throughout the entire time that a person is alive. This is partly the result of upbringing, partly - one’s own life experience. The older a person is, the more conscious his worldview is.

In addition, scientists divide worldview into several forms.

Religious worldview

Divides the world into two poles: “this” and “that”. Introduces concepts such as spirit, faith, God and does not require evidence or critical analysis. Establishes postulates that answer deep-seated questions that trouble a person: what is good and what is evil, what is the concept of the creation of the Universe. Religiosity presupposes adherence to strict rules of behavior, which are presented by the bearers of one or another teaching as truly true. Religion plays a colossal, albeit controversial, role in modern times. It is inextricably linked with universal human culture and is focused on solving spiritual problems. At the same time, it comes into conflict with other types of worldview.

Philosophical views on life

Philosophy and worldview are practically inseparable concepts. The vision of the world, according to this type, is based on a theory supported by scientific and natural justifications, as well as on logically explainable real (both personal and social) phenomena. Neither philosophy nor worldview of any type would have a place in modern times if they were not closely connected with history. Philosophical teachings say that a person who has such a vision is obliged to devote his life to the study of the world and the endless search for truth.

Mythological worldview

It was formed at a historical stage when humanity gradually separated itself from nature and opposed it. Various cults and pantheons arose. Complex phenomena of social life were reflected in myths: like people, gods and heroes staged wars and competed with each other. Properties of mythology:

• endowing nature with human traits;
• interaction of the real with the fantastic;
• lack of logical analysis and reflection;
• practical focus on solving everyday problems;
• The plots are of the same type and superficial.

Archaic subtype

This is an ancient form of human ideas about himself, life and interaction with nature. It is characterized by the coexistence of reality and fantasy. Both of these concepts were once united in various variations of beliefs: totemism, animism, fetishism. In the same way, within the framework of this worldview there is no division into “I” and the world. Everything around has vital energy and requires a certain attitude (rituals, worship).

What is a worldview? Brief Definition

A generalization of a person’s actions, his desires, attitude towards people, the invaluable experience of previous generations, everyday activities, work on oneself - all this includes a worldview. It is not possible to briefly describe the unique worldview of an individual person, since all individuals are individual, which means that everyone has their own, established understanding of the world. Literally, worldview stands for “look at the world,” look at it and experience certain emotions, accept it as it is, or reject it, creating your own inner world.

What worldviews do people have: philosophical direction

There is a huge amount of knowledge and ideas concerning the role and place of human culture, personality in the universe, as well as issues of life and death in general. Philosophy has undertaken to rethink all existing ideas about reality and highlight the most significant topics for discussion. In the process of historical development, many different schools arose (and still appear), many of which ideologically conflict with each other. Philosophers consider self-knowledge, the search for truth, and self-actualization to be the highest values. Differences from religion and myth:

• based on rational knowledge, not faith;
• reflection plays a dominant role;
• presence of integrity, system;
• clear concepts and categories.

Everyday worldview

It is based on everyday experience and is formed spontaneously, in the process of interaction of the individual with various spheres and manifestations of life. Attitudes formed by everyday thinking are autonomous and self-sufficient. Often they are accompanied by an exclusively associative way of perception, which is based on the knowledge and practice of ancestors or others. Moreover, new information within the framework of this worldview has the ability to be integrated and applied in various fields of activity. Intuition, emotions and feelings, and instincts play an important role. Also, views and beliefs are perceived in connection with value guidelines and norms of behavior that exist in the social system.

Humanistic vision of the world

The structure of the worldview of humanistic-minded individuals is a generalization of the principles of humanism, namely love of humanity:

• The most valuable thing in the world is a person.
• Each individual is a self-sufficient person.
• All people have limitless powers for self-improvement, development in all areas of life, and also have the right to demonstrate their capabilities and talents.
• Any individual who is part of society is able to independently change his thinking, manner of communication, and character.
• Every person is capable of self-development and a positive impact on the society around him.

What kind of worldview does a person have: exponential-personal representation

According to this concept, the way of thinking is formed as an individual grows. When he moves from a passive, dependent state to teenage reflection, crisis. Then and further he feels the full weight of social and cultural influence. Thus, the foundation of worldview is made up of many ideological types: faith is intertwined with myth, philosophy, everyday way of thinking and science in various proportions.

Dogmatism

Often the worldview is formed through a dogmatic way of perception. It presupposes uncritical but conscious adherence to externally established rules, norms, and laws.

Reflexivity

Another “style” of adherence to certain ideas or dogmas is a subconscious, unconscious desire for them. In this case (unlike dogma), reason is no longer included in analytical activity and reflection, therefore submission to certain principles and regulations occurs impulsively, reflexively.

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Ways of formation

There are only 2 options for developing a worldview:

1. Active (conscious). A person uses additional opportunities to obtain information in order to create his own, individual outlook on life. Various historical documents, psychological trainings, and philosophical publications help him in this. The individual exerts all his inner strength, studying the features of the worldview and developing new goals, foundations and ideals for himself.
2. Passive (spontaneous). Most of modern society uses this way of forming a worldview, receiving information from easily accessible sources, adapting to the conditions around them. As a result, a person who has chosen the passive option of growing his perception of the world, in an effort to become like everyone else, loses his individuality.

What can be the role of worldview in a person’s life?

• It is the basis of personal integrity, which presupposes the presence of a clear system of values ​​and ideals.
• Structures the surrounding space, making it familiar, more understandable and safe.
• Suggests certain ways to achieve goals.
• Its absence makes life chaotic and the psyche unbalanced, full of contradictory attitudes, which leads to insoluble internal conflicts.

There is a state when the old worldview is destroyed (for example, disappointment in religious principles sets in), and a new one has not yet been formed in its place. This stage is called an ideological crisis. At this moment, it is extremely important to return the personality to integrity as soon as possible, otherwise healthy forms of worldview will be replaced by various delusions and surrogates: alcohol and drugs, sectarianism, and so on. The concept of “mentality” is also associated with worldview, which means a certain mindset, a set of mental properties and behavioral characteristics. It reflects the character of an entire group of people (for example, a nation), representing the inner world of an individual, passed through the prism of historical experience.

Forms

The life activity of previous generations leaves its mark on modern society. Forms of worldview absorbed the experience of ancestors, their history, myths and legends, moral principles and foundations. What our forefathers believed also influenced the worldview of modern individuals. The feelings and views of ancient people on the world around them continue to live, despite significant time intervals. Today there are such forms of worldview: public, group, individual.

How to change your beliefs.

To begin, I will break down this form of thinking into two levels:

• sensual (empirical) – includes attitude, worldview, world experience;
• conceptual (theoretical) – worldview.

The easiest way is to turn the way of thinking in the other direction, working with the second stage, since it is associated with intellectual, logical perception. To do this, you need to directly influence the intellect, forming new attitudes. I recommend step-by-step instructions for changing your beliefs:

1. Take some time for yourself and think it through, admit to yourself your conviction in the area that does not suit you, and write it down in a notebook. From the created list, try to choose those that interfere with you and lead to a conflict between your goals and desires (“Everyone gets sick all the time”; “I often catch a virus”; “I have a very weak immune system”; “When I’m sick, everyone loves me”) ; “When I am sick, I rest and gain strength”; “Sick people receive increased attention and care”).
2. You yourself must solve your life difficulty, since it is not outside, but deep inside. If you change your negative beliefs to positive ones in the subconscious, you will change your reality.
3. Feel your strength and what you are capable of. Remember some negative thought and replace it with the opposite one, try repeating it for literally 2-3 minutes every morning for 3 weeks.
4. Do not try to immediately change all your persuasiveness, without overloading yourself, do it gradually. As soon as you have changed 2-4 thoughts, wait a while, let them take root and become fixed in your consciousness.

Choosing the right goal, according to the type of worldview

Find out which type of worldview prevails in you. What do you primarily rely on when talking about good and evil, the creation of the world, and the role of man in it?

1. Give reasons for your position.
2. Watch. Study reality, analyze, reflect, learn to draw competent conclusions. Experiment. Organize information by recording it. This way you will understand which path is most suitable for you.
3. Do some self-reflection. Understand what role you play in society, decide on your desires.
4. Reflect. Ask yourself deep questions and look for objective, logically provable answers.
5. Put personal experience aside. Do not follow the stereotypes and paradigms formed in the psyche. Do not project a particular case onto general ideas about the world.
6. Follow the presence rule. Realize that there is no past and future. There is only the present moment. Live and feel “here and now”; this is the only way your understanding of reality will not be distorted.
7. Give up attachments. Perceive your own personality as basic and fundamental. You don't have to live up to other people's ideas and expectations.
8. Explore different approaches: science, philosophy, art, the workings of everyday thinking. Look for answers not only within yourself, but also in different sources.
9. Develop your analytical skills. Logic will help separate the true from the false.

Why is it important to have a clear worldview?

Is it really important to talk about worldview, to know and understand its structure, types, etc.? Certainly. Worldview is like the interface of a program through which you evaluate the elements of the environment, their functional connections, and try to take your place among these elements. The more colorful and pleasant the interface, the more you like the program.

Worldview forms a set of values, ideals, life principles of a person, and all this taken together sets the rules by which you play, influences the goals and guidelines that guide you in your daily practice. If you think that biology is boring, and music is fraught with many secrets and mysteries that you are interested in solving, then this will most likely determine your specialty, your circle of friends, to some extent your appearance, vocabulary, manner of communication and much more. That is, worldview directly affects our lives.

If you still have any questions, you can watch a short but informative video about what alignment is and what its role is: