Whether we are aware of it or not, all of us have internalised, and are guided in our interactions with others by, a perspective on reality – or, a world view. Our world view is influenced by many things – the family and culture in which we are raised, religious beliefs we might be attached to, the literary and cultural productions of our time and place, the general social, political and economic structures of our society, the power of science and the knowledge it has given us, the historical epoch in which we live, the arts and media. The World Views course seeks to enable students to take a critical-humanistic stance to their view(s) of the world; and to show students that the world is viewed in a multitude of ways, which themselves have multiple sources and influences. In being able to gain critical distance, students should come understand what is thought to be important by holders of a world view and why. Students will gain an understanding of the difficulty of claims to truth related to any one world view; and in so doing, will learn to critically examine how a world view is related to its justification. Ultimately, the World Views course seeks to enable students to critically compare world views from a humanistic perspective, to see which views are justified and on what basis. The point is to broaden students’ perspectives on our shared human reality to help them make intelligent and caring choices in their own personal and social lives.
