Oscar Galeana

4/12/12016

My Worldview

The world isnt built to have everyone live the same lives with the same experiences.
Humans are all different because we each have different experiences to everyone else that we
have gone through that makes us who we are, the way we think, interact and handle situations.
This is a world view. A world view is a set of beliefs about fundamental aspects of reality that
ground and influence one's, thinking, knowing, and doing. (Funk, 2001, p. 3). Basically a
worldview is a person's own belief philosophy, that has been constructed by the life that the
individual has lived and it affects every aspect of the individual's world. It is the reason why
individuals take certain actions and others dont. According to Funk (2001) there are 7 elements
of a worldview epistemology, metaphysics, cosmology, teleology, theology, anthropology, and
axiology (p. 4). These 7 elements are personal beliefs that an individual has in the world that
make up the individual's worldview. A worldview is important because it allows individuals to
separate themselves from society to have their own beliefs and their own way of thinking. If
everyone in society thought and believed in everything the same way there would be no diversity
in the world. Everyone has a worldview and this paper will go into my worldview and describe
what my beliefs are while describing Funks 7 elements of a worldview.
Epistemology is what you believe about knowledge and knowing: their nature, basis and
validation. It is what an individual accepts as being knowledge. A person may believe that
knowledge comes from authority or facts, that is their validation to accepting it. Others might

think different. This category is the way people justify their knowledge, what they do and dont
believe because of their way of justifying what is and what isnt knowledge (Funk, 2001, p. 5).
In my own beliefs I believe that beliefs should be justified within the nature of the
person. Meaning that a person's belief should only be justified to the person itself not to the
standards that society has on them. In this way beliefs are not subjected to others needs or to
impress society, it is solely on what the individual thinks. I also believe that the difference
between knowledge and faith is evidence. I believe that speculation turns into actual knowledge
when there is a significant amount of evidence that supports it. Faith on the other hand to me is a
speculation that has no evidence but you truly believe that it is real. You believe in it and have
faith in it because you want to, even if their is no evidence that supports it. Its more to do with
character. When I say evidence I believe that science is a justified way to obtain evidence and I
trust it, that being said it is a way of of justifying beliefs.
The category of metaphysics are the beliefs an individual holds about the ultimate nature
of reality. People believe that their is a god or spirit effects the world and other people believe
that the world is affected by the universe and scientific facts. This category focuses on what
people believe to be the truth and why the way people think. It shows what people believe to be
the facts of nature in their eyes (Funk, 2001, p. 6).
I believe that reality and thinking about reality doesnt necessarily meaning that you have
to see it in order to think its true. Human dont see a lot of things but it doesnt mean their not
true. In this sense I believe that an individual creates their own reality and what they decided t be
true. I base my beliefs of truth on scientific facts but I do have faith in certain conditions where
science hasnt been able to explain, although I still believe.

A person's cosmology hold the beliefs about the origin of the universe, of life, and
particularly of man. This category is the argument of whether god created the world or scientific
facts shows the creation of the world, is usually generated from. This belief can have multiple
possibilities about the origin of the universe, if a god did create which one? How many? When?
Where? If not then what did. People have their own specific answers to these questions. Some
follow religious principles others dont (Funk, 2001, p. 8).
I believe that the origin of the universe starts by god. My beliefs are that god created man
and the world around man. It is hard to say if the universe could of ended up differently I do not
believe so I think the universe was destined to be the way it is now. Although my beliefs do
contradict themselves even though I believe that god created man I also believe that there are
infinite universe and multiple other living being in the universe then just man. I believe that the
fate of the universe is to have all living beings interact with one another.
Teleology is the belief humans have about purpose. Whether or not their is a clear goal
that humans have on the earth. Some people believe that all humans have the same purpose for
being alive, while other believe that it's subjected to the person and other believe that their is no
purpose for being alive. This category make people reflect on themselves and the world around
them (Funk, 2001, p. 8).
My beliefs about purpose are that the world doesnt have a purpose but individuals do
have their own purpose that they can follow. I do not believe that there is some great purpose for
man in the world. I think that man is here to just live their lives, their own separate lives, with
their own separate purposes. That is what makes life meaningful to a human to find out what
their purpose in the world is and then acting on it to fulfill it. I believe that everyone has a
purpose because that is the way god intended for man to live, with purpose.

The theology category is a person's belief about god. Whether or not their a god or
multiple gods. This belief also asks the question if there's one then what is the relationship of god
to man. The category also brings out people's decisions of being atheist or not. As well as
peoples belief of whether or not society should explain god's existence (Funk, 2001, p. 9).
From my positions in the other belief categories it would be reasonable to think that I do
believe in god. I believe that their is one god that created the world, man and every other living
thing. Gods role in the universe is to look after mankind and take care for them, to be a symbol
of hope for people when there is no hope left in their lives. God does have free will he is inclined
to do anything he wants. He is not subject to time and age like mankind.
Funks (2001) anthropology category are about an individual's beliefs about man, meaning
humans all genders, race and age. This belief asks people to consider what is man. People believe
that man is a creation from god while other believe that man is a form of evolution. Also what is
man's place in the universe and does man even have free will? People belief in this category are
used to explain mankind and everything that mankind has effect on (p. 10).
I believe that mankind was created by one god and that our place in the universe is to live
by his rules and guidelines. Meaning to live by the 7 catholic sacraments. Other life forms do
exist and probably have the same lives that man lives, since they were made by god as well.
Those other life forms may not be humans but their are a living organism. I believe that a human
is someone that live on the planet earth. Its how we distinguished ourselves from others in the
universe.
Finally the last of Funk's (2001) 7 elements of worldview is Axiology. This belief
consists of people's beliefs about the nature of value and what is valuable. This belief talks about

people's perception of right and wrong. This category relates to a person's behavior and impacts
the rest of the belief categories (p. 12).
In the category of axiology my beliefs are that a individual's morals come from their
background and what they are taught to be right and wrong as a child, by either, their parents,
experiences and friends. Also a person's moral come from god, since god has guidelines that
mankind should follow, like being nice, lending out your hand to another in need etc. These
morals can be implemented into a person due to religious beliefs. I also believe however that
there are moral laws that everyone should follow. Like not murdering, cheating, stealing. These
are more universal moral laws in society.
As I look back at my belief, I think that they are a creation of a lot of similar beliefs that
come together to make new beliefs. For example I believe that God is real, but I believe that
science is a justified source for knowledge. They contradict each other but in my thoughts they
dont. I believe that if a source can be valid with science then it is true, but that sometimes their
are things in the world that cannot be explained and that you have to have faith in to believe. My
beliefs dont really have a straight system their jagged, cross each other and dont fit well. I think
this is the fact that my beliefs come from multiple sources that have impacted my life like my
family and culture. I am a catholic and have learned religious beliefs that I also believe, but I did
take multiple science classes in school where I believe the validation science has in the world.
My beliefs are also impacted by my family and culture.
These 7 belief categories are what makes up an individual's worldview. It is their belief
philosophy and explains why and how they think about certain situations. Everyones worldview
is different they're not all them same and its what makes humans so different from one another.

References
Funk, K. (2001). What is a Worldview? Retrieved April 12, 2016, from
http://web.engr.oregonstate.edu/~funkk/Personal/worldview.html