WorldView

A worldview is a comprehensive mental framework through which a person interprets the world and guides behavior. It comprises beliefs about reality, knowledge, values, and meaning and serves as a lens for judging events and experiences. While individuals vary, worldviews also shape cultures and groups.

Core components include ontological assumptions about what exists, epistemological beliefs about how we know, and axiological commitments about what is valuable and morally right. Worldviews may be religious, secular, scientific, or philosophical and often interweave multiple strands.

Worldviews are formed through socialization—family, education, religion, media, and language—over time and can change in light of new information or personal experience. They function as frames that influence interpretation, risk assessment, and decision making.

In plural societies, individuals may hold overlapping or conflicting worldviews. Scholars study worldviews in fields such as anthropology, psychology, religious studies, and political science to understand beliefs, norms, and behavior.

Critiques note that a worldview can embed biases or justify action without critical scrutiny; nevertheless, comparing worldviews can foster cross-cultural understanding and dialogue. Examples include a scientific worldview emphasizing empirical evidence and testability, and a religious or spiritual worldview centering purpose, transcendence, and ritual.