Refection about Worldview Discussion Paper

Part 1: Explain the Christian perspective of the nature of spirituality and ethics in contrast to the perspective of postmodern relativism within health care

Christianity and postmodern relativism offer a unique view on spirituality and ethics. Christianity considers spirituality as the elucidation that God exists as the creator of the universe and everything within it. As the creator, God has dominion over the whole universe and has the power to destroy it even as he created it. As the creator with power over everything, God is considered the most powerful being in the universe. Given God’s position as the creators and most powerful being, then it is expected that the will of God would be done in this world and everywhere else in the universe. This implies that everything that happens is with the permission of God. This understanding of spirituality explains why human beings are considered God’s creation and expected to fulfil the will of God as well as obey all commandments of God. It is for this reason that God presented the Bible, as a divine book that gives instructions on God’s will and expectations for human beings. Through reading the Bible, human beings can understand spirituality as regards what God intends for their lives. As such, human beings who seek to make the right decisions in ethical situations must comply with the instructions in the Bible as God is always right and what God commands is ethical. Refection Worldview Discussion Paper This suggests that even as the Bible explains what spirituality implies, it also explains what ethics implies for Christians in terms of what is right and wrong. Through following the instructions of God in the Bible, Christians would by default be acting in an ethical manner. This understanding has implications for health care as it determines what decisions Christians would make (Anderson, Clark & Naugle, 2017).

In contrast, postmodern relativism presents a rather loose and non-definitive view on spirituality and ethics. At the core of postmodern relativism principles is the understanding that there is no absolute truth. This implies that even what is considered truth is only relative. Spirituality and ethics are concerned with absolute truths and do not allow for ambiguity. This is contrary to postmodern relativism that is ambiguous. To be more precise, spirituality explains the existence of an unseen being whose existence cannot be proven. Similarly, ethics talks of right and wrong with no in-betweens. The application of postmodern relativism perspective on spirituality and ethics to health care would reveal that what works for one patient may not necessarily work for another patient. Refection about Worldview Discussion Paper In essence, health care should be personalized as each person has a unique interpretation of spirituality and ethics so that prevailing circumstances should also be evaluated before making decisions (Stenmark, Fuller & Zackariasson, 2018).

Part 2: Explaining scientism and arguments against

Scientism is a school of thought considers sciences as either hard or soft depending on the value assigned to the evidence they present. In this case, hard sciences are perceived to present tangible evidence and superior knowledge as they are based on established logical rules that align with the observed reality. The evidence presented in hard sciences can easily be replicated under the same conditions as there would be no changes in the observed reality. In essence, the evidence that hard sciences presented can be tested and replicated. Some of the examples of hard sciences include chemistry, biology and physicians. On the other hand, soft sciences are perceived to present intangible evidence and less superior knowledge as they are based on suppositions and conjecture. The evidence presented in soft sciences is likely to change even if the circumstances remain the same. While the evidence presented by soft sciences is not necessarily inferior, they can have different explanations and conclusions. Some of the examples of soft sciences include sociology and psychology. Overall, scientism considers hard sciences as based on falsification, skepticism and experimentation while soft sciences are based on subjectivism (Moreland, 2018).

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While scientism presents arguments that appear valid to explain the difference between hard and soft sciences, these arguments can be invalidated. It considers hard sciences as presenting superior knowledge with the intellectual authority to offer real knowledge. In contrast, soft sciences are considered as presented less superior knowledge that is not interpreted as real knowledge. These are erroneous arguments. Firstly, there is no absolute truth. Even the results of hard sciences are subject to changes as new evidence is acquired. This is also true for soft sciences. As such, the two sciences present propositional truths. Secondly, the notion that hard sciences present absolute truths is tyrannical. Although hard sciences rely on rationalization and replication to establish scientific rules and laws, this approach has stifled creativity towards developing new laws. Every rule and law that is now accepted by hard sciences was once a whimsical conjecture. If these whimsical conjectures had been stifled, then the rules and laws would not exist. Soft sciences have been more accepting of these whimsical conjectures (Zavada, 2019).

Part 3. Worldview questions

(a) What is ultimate reality?

The ultimate reality is the basic component of personal belief. Even when everything else changes to skew personal beliefs, the ultimate reality would not change (Anderson, Clark & Naugle, 2017). My ultimate reality is that God is mighty, created the universe and everything in it, is powerful, and has a will that directs everything in the universe. My life is part of God’s plan. Through understanding what God wants me to do with my life, I am able to live a fulfilled life that is in accordance with God’s expectations. I get an understanding of what God desires for my life by reading the Bible to interpret God’s commandments and instructions for my life. This ultimate reality has been at the core of all my decisions in life. Everything I do must not violate this ultimate reality.

 (b) What is the nature of the universe?

The universe is the area in which everything that can be seen and perceived exists. The earth, solar system, and other systems that can be seen through telescopes are part of the universe. The universe follows strict scientific laws of time and space. It is governed by four scientific rules that revolve around manipulating energy. The first rule is energy conversion, explaining that energy cannot be created or destroyed and that it would only change forms. For instance, solar energy from the sun is captured by plants that use it in growth. The second rule is that energy is constantly decaying into an inactive form. The universe has been using the active energy and this is diminishing as it turns into inactive energy that cannot be easily accessed. An example is the sun whose energy has been diminishing with time. The third rule is that energy has competition. The fourth rule is that energy evolves. Everything in the universe is competing for the available active energy, and everything is evolving to better compete for the energy (Greene, 2021).

(c) What is a human being?

A human being is a biological species. It has the scientific name Homo sapiens, has male and female genders, and is capable of reproducing within the species. Human beings are primates and have undergone a long evolutionary process that has differentiated them from other primates, allowing them to have an upright posture, walk on two legs, and have a large brain capacity. Unlike other animals on earth, human beings have used their large brain capacity to bypass evolution by changing the environment to suit their survival needs. This has allowed humans to become the most dominant species on earth that has colonized almost every environment. Through adaptations like clothing, medicine, houses and cars, have become fitter for the environment (Welker, 2017).

 (d) What is knowledge?

Knowledge is the understanding and awareness about something or an existing fact. Knowledge is developed over time, and is typically acquired through education and experience. When an individual attends classes, he or she would acquire the knowledge taught in the classes. Similarly, when an individual experiences knowledge in action, then he or she would become familiar with the knowledge. An individual who has the right knowledge is better positioned to make the right decisions that ensure the realization of targeted outcomes. Similarly, knowledge allows individuals to avoid mistakes (Christiansen & Simmons, 2019).

(e) What is your basis of ethics?

As a Christian, the Bible is my basis for ethics. Every ethical decision I make is founded on Biblical principles. As a Christian, the core of my faith is the belief that God is the creator and most powerful being. God created me and other humans with a purpose. Through reading and interpreting the Bible I am able to understand what God wants me to do and this will always enable me to make the right decisions. To be more precise, God’s instructions and commandments as presented in the Bible are always right. By basing my decisions on the Bible, I would always be doing what is right, and therefore be acting ethically. While the Bible acts as the basis for my ethics, I also understand that the Bible will not necessarily address every ethical situation. In such cases, I would base my ethics on common law as I am part of the human society and believe that these common laws are intended to protect me and others by serving the greater good and avoiding intentional harm (Anderson, Clark & Naugle, 2017).

(f) What is the purpose of your existence?

I am a Christian, and the purpose of my existence is to live the life that God intended for me. This implies following God’s instructions and commandments as presented in the Bible. These can be summarized into three purposes. Firstly, living my life in obedience to God’s word. Secondly, serving others through love and care. Thirdly, procreating so that I leave behind the next generation. I have made the best of my life by following God’s instructions and living by the three purposes (Anderson, Clark & Naugle, 2017).

References

Anderson, T. J., Clark, W. M., & Naugle, D. K. (2017). An Introduction to Christian Worldview: Pursuing God’s Perspective in a Pluralistic World. InterVarsity Press (IVP).

Christensen, L. & Simmons, L. (2019). The Scope of Practice for Academic Nurse Educators and Academic Clinical Nurse Educators (3^rd ed.). Riverwoods, IL: Wolters Kluwer Health.

Greene, B. (2021). Until the End of Time: Mind, Matter, and Our Search for Meaning in an Evolving Universe. Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group

Moreland, J. (2018). What is Scientism? https://www.crossway.org/articles/what-is-scientism/

Stenmark, M., Fuller, S., & Zackariasson, U. (Eds.) (2018). Relativism and Post-Truth in Contemporary Society: Possibilities and Challenges. Springer.

Welker, B. (2017). The History of Our Tribe: Hominini. SUNY Geneseo.

Zavada, J. (2019). Postmodernism Definition. https://www.learnreligions.com/what-is-postmodernism-700692 . Refection Worldview Discussion Paper