Some worldview questions

[Spunkn]

Have an assignment for class which is to get various views of people's worldviews, so I thought I would try here and see how people respond. I will simply ask the questions and if you feel like responding then great. I will not be entering into any debates, I'm simply interested in responses to the questions. Thank you to anyone who decides to answer them.

1. What are your views about the existence and the nature of a supreme force or being?

2. How did everything that exists get here?

3. Is mankind good, evil, neither or both?

4. Why is there evil in our world?

5. What can be done about evil? Can the world be made right again?

6. What is the purpose and destiny of mankind?

7. What do you value? How do you assign value?

8. Where do you get the information that informs your beliefs? Which authorities do you trust?

9. At the end of your life looking back, what do you hope to have accomplished? What things would allow you to say that you have truly fulfilled your goals in life?

 

[Paradoxum]

1. What are your views about the existence and the nature of a supreme force or being?

It seems unlikely to me. The arguments for God don't justify belief, and the world doesn't seem like what I'd expect from a good and personal God.

2. How did everything that exists get here?

Evolution, fusion in the stars, gravity, expansion from the Big Bang.

I can't know why the Big Bang happened, or if there was anything before it. It could be necessary for some reason, or it could be that all possible universes exist.

3. Is mankind good, evil, neither or both?

I don't know... I don't have the facts to be able to answer that. I guess I'd say that our natural state allows us to be both good or bad... it's our society and upbringing that makes better or worse people.

4. Why is there evil in our world?

Human evil? Because some evolved desires and tendencies are overly self-interested and disregarding of others.

5. What can be done about evil? Can the world be made right again?

Perhaps by teaching critical thinking and giving a loving upbringing. Freedom from poverty and relative poverty also help. Knowing a variety of different types of people could also help.

Just suggestions.

6. What is the purpose and destiny of mankind?

There is no external purpose, but as a species we should probably work towards alleviating suffering and oppression, discovering the truths of universe, exploring the universe, create great art, etc.

7. What do you value? How do you assign value?

Truth, love, respect, liberty, happiness, fairness... many things.

I don't know how assigning of values works though.

8. Where do you get the information that informs your beliefs? Which authorities do you trust?

The internet, books, talking to people. Science authorities are the most trustworthy. Other groups are trustworthy in varying degrees.

9. At the end of your life looking back, what do you hope to have accomplished? What things would allow you to say that you have truly fulfilled your goals in life?

Marrying someone I love. Perhaps having children. Hopefully to have had a slight influence on my society and laws, to leave my world a better place than I found it. I'd also like to see a few places, and experienced various experiences before I leave too.

 

[essentialsaltes]

1. What are your views about the existence and the nature of a supreme force or being?

There are none.

2. How did everything that exists get here?

From what came before.

3. Is mankind good, evil, neither or both?

Complex question. Good and evil do not exist objectively. They are only subjective human judgments.

4. Why is there evil in our world?

There is no objective evil. But particular human beings deem particular things to be evil.

5. What can be done about evil? Can the world be made right again?

Everyone can struggle against evil in their own way. The world was never 'right', so it cannot be made right again. But it can be made better.

6. What is the purpose and destiny of mankind?

There is none.

7. What do you value? How do you assign value?

Oh pff. I dunno. I value knowledge, kindness, courage, bravery, charity... I assign value... based on my values.

8. Where do you get the information that informs your beliefs? Which authorities do you trust?

Life experience, literature, philosophy, science and the natural world.

9. At the end of your life looking back, what do you hope to have accomplished? What things would allow you to say that you have truly fulfilled your goals in life?

I hope to do good and live well.

 

[Ken-1122]

1. What are your views about the existence and the nature of a supreme force or being?

I don’t believe any of the supreme beings I’ve heard people describe; exist.

2. How did everything that exists get here?

don’t know; I suspect everything that exist has always existed in one form or another and evolved into what we have now

3. Is mankind good, evil, neither or both?

Both

4. Why is there evil in our world?

As long as people choice, there will always be those who will choose evil

5. What can be done about evil? Can the world be made right again?

Again? I don’t think the world was ever completely right. The best we can do is improve it

6. What is the purpose and destiny of mankind?

Each person brings purpose and destiny to their own life; these things are not determined at birth

7. What do you value? How do you assign value?

I assign value by determining what is important to me

8. Where do you get the information that informs your beliefs? Which authorities do you trust?

Golden Rule, Life experiences… list is too long to mention.

9. At the end of your life looking back, what do you hope to have accomplished? What things would allow you to say that you have truly fulfilled your goals in life?

To be as happy as possible.

Ken

 

[Albion]

1. What are your views about the existence and the nature of a supreme force or being?

I think there is one--a Spirit possessed of ultimate knowledge and power.

2. How did everything that exists get here?

See #1

3. Is mankind good, evil, neither or both?

Both

4. Why is there evil in our world?

A lack of good.

5. What can be done about evil? Can the world be made right again?[/QUOTE]

Mankind cannot be made entirely and consistently good.

6. What is the purpose and destiny of mankind?

Union with God.

7. What do you value? How do you assign value?

I value many things.

8. Where do you get the information that informs your beliefs? Which authorities do you trust?

Various sources, religious and non-religious.

9. At the end of your life looking back, what do you hope to have accomplished? What things would allow you to say that you have truly fulfilled your goals in life?

I hope to have made a difference for the better.

 

[KCfromNC]

Have an assignment for class which is to get various views of people's worldviews, so I thought I would try here and see how people respond. I will simply ask the questions and if you feel like responding then great. I will not be entering into any debates, I'm simply interested in responses to the questions. Thank you to anyone who decides to answer them.

1. What are your views about the existence and the nature of a supreme force or being?

No idea what this even means. There are 4 fundamental forces in nature, but I have no clue how to rank one as supreme compared to the others.

2. How did everything that exists get here?

Within rounding error, everything is hydrogen and helium atoms. Those came about roughly 400,000 years after the Planck epoch.

3. Is mankind good, evil, neither or both?

No.

4. Why is there evil in our world?

Competition for limited resources, generally.

5. What can be done about evil? Can the world be made right again?

Again? When were things significantly better?

6. What is the purpose and destiny of mankind?

None that I'm aware of.

7. What do you value? How do you assign value?

This is too vague to answer. Amazon and e-bay are good ways to establish value of certain things. For others, I imagine it is a complicated process of rationalization of gut feeling. And I'm sure there are other brain functions at work as well, it's just that we're not aware of them working behind the scenes.

8. Where do you get the information that informs your beliefs? Which authorities do you trust?

Reality.

9. At the end of your life looking back, what do you hope to have accomplished?

To crush my enemies, see them driven before me, and to hear the lamentations of their women, of course.

What things would allow you to say that you have truly fulfilled your goals in life?

Hard to say - fulfillment isn't a rational cause and effect process.

 

[Eudaimonist]

Thank you for the questions.

1. What are your views about the existence and the nature of a supreme force or being?

As far as I can tell, there is no supreme force or being. There is just nature.

2. How did everything that exists get here?

Everything that we see today "got here" through natural change, i.e., through natural cause and effect. If there is an ultimate start to change, then that initial entity -- the "cosmic egg" -- existed without cause. I don't see the cosmic egg as a deity, and it is almost certainly some extremely simple physical entity, such as a singularity.

3. Is mankind good, evil, neither or both?

Goodness and badness depends on the individual.

However, whatever individuals may be in actuality, I do think that they are potentially good. An analogy is that individuals may vary in their skill at riding bicycles, but they are potentially skilled. This potential goodness is something that I see as good for the individual, and as a kind of health.

4. Why is there evil in our world?

Because no one is born with wisdom or character, and achieving these is a matter of choice, effort, and life experience.

5. What can be done about evil? Can the world be made right again?

The world was never right to begin with.

There is no magic bullet for slaying evil, but it is up to each of us to work on our moral character, and it may help to have good education, parenting, friends, and role models. We may also serve as good educators, parents, friends, and role models to others.

6. What is the purpose and destiny of mankind?

Individuals may have a purpose and a destiny, but mankind doesn't.

As for individuals, I think that their natural purpose and destiny is to self-actualize. It is by no means guaranteed that this purpose and destiny will be fulfilled for any particular individual.

7. What do you value? How do you assign value?

I value my own flourishing (or "self-actualization") and its means. I assign value according to the standard of what is fulfilling of my life. When I am pressed for time to make a decision, I rest on my moral character and my sense of which action would be the most beautiful.

8. Where do you get the information that informs your beliefs? Which authorities do you trust?

I look towards the views of the wise, and towards my life experience. Ultimately, though, I trust to my judgment.

9. At the end of your life looking back, what do you hope to have accomplished? What things would allow you to say that you have truly fulfilled your goals in life?

I hope to have lived a worthwhile life and to have earned my self-respect. I hope to have known good people, to have thought worthwhile thoughts, to have developed a good character, and to have created worthwhile values.


eudaimonia,

Mark

 

[Resha Caner]

1. What are your views about the existence and the nature of a supreme force or being?

I believe in the God revealed through the Bible and the Sacraments of the Christian church.

2. How did everything that exists get here?

God created it.

3. Is mankind good, evil, neither or both?

People are sinful, and therefore they sometimes do evil.

4. Why is there evil in our world?

Because people are sinful.

5. What can be done about evil? Can the world be made right again?

One needs to resist evil, but that will never eliminate it. Things will be "made right" with the coming of a new heaven & earth.

6. What is the purpose and destiny of mankind?

The purpose of creation is to do God's will.

7. What do you value? How do you assign value?

I'm not sure how to answer this. It seems too broad a question.

8. Where do you get the information that informs your beliefs? Which authorities do you trust?

It depends. For spiritual matters I trust the Bible. For everything else, to a lesser degree, I trust a variety of experts and acquaintances.

9. At the end of your life looking back, what do you hope to have accomplished? What things would allow you to say that you have truly fulfilled your goals in life?

Most of my personal goals have been frustrated in one way or another, but it's not as if I've given up on them. I just keep plugging away. I don't expect I'll ever get to a point where I can say I'm done and have that reflective moment. I just keep on keepin' on.

If I hear Matt 25:23 at the end, I'll be happy.

 

[Spunkn]

Thank you for the responses everyone, appreciate it.

 

[decent orange]

Have an assignment for class which is to get various views of people's worldviews, so I thought I would try here and see how people respond. I will simply ask the questions and if you feel like responding then great. I will not be entering into any debates, I'm simply interested in responses to the questions. Thank you to anyone who decides to answer them.

1. What are your views about the existence and the nature of a supreme force or being?

2. How did everything that exists get here?

3. Is mankind good, evil, neither or both?

4. Why is there evil in our world?

5. What can be done about evil? Can the world be made right again?

6. What is the purpose and destiny of mankind?

7. What do you value? How do you assign value?

8. Where do you get the information that informs your beliefs? Which authorities do you trust?

9. At the end of your life looking back, what do you hope to have accomplished? What things would allow you to say that you have truly fulfilled your goals in life?

1. Supreme force exists and is one thing.

2. Everything that exists got here by being observed and communicated

3. This one is hard. Good and evil are just words, and mankind can only be assigned the essence of good, evil, neither, or both by an observer who also assigns meaning to good and evil. (I think)

4. If there is good, there also must be evil. If a person defines the word good as being the goal of a thing, then evil must exist in order to highlight what is good as not being evil. If hot is alone, then the hot has no existence or meaning, because knowing what is hot is only known by also knowing what is cold.

5. Evil cannot be done away with. And if it is done away with, then good disappears with it. If you choose good, be good, if evil, be evil. Good is what you and everyone wants, and evil is what you rarely want and what everyone else doesn't want. (according to what I personally think what the word good is and evil)

6. The purpose is observing and having meaning. (I think)

7. I value all things. The value from this perspective is reached by how much I am affected by something, and in which direction I am affected.

8. OT and NT of the Bible, nature, personal experience, big cups inside little cups, dictionaries.

9. Being love without fear, a non anxiety happy love at all times. Is it possible?

 

[quatona]

Have an assignment for class which is to get various views of people's worldviews, so I thought I would try here and see how people respond. I will simply ask the questions and if you feel like responding then great. I will not be entering into any debates, I'm simply interested in responses to the questions. Thank you to anyone who decides to answer them.

Hi, I am afraid I am unable to answer some of the questions because they appear to be loaded with premises I don´t share.

1. What are your views about the existence and the nature of a supreme force or being?

Why call a certain force "supreme", in the first place?

2. How did everything that exists get here?

The big brown truck brought it.
Seriousness aside, I have a nagging suspicion that questions that make sense when asked within a certain system do not necessarily make sense when asked about the system itself.

3. Is mankind good, evil, neither or both?

Value judgements are a result of your expectations.

4. Why is there evil in our world?

There isn´t evil in the world.

5. What can be done about evil?

That entirely depends on what it is that you are suffering from.

Can the world be made right again?

Which world are we talking about when talking about the "right world" that once existed?

6. What is the purpose and destiny of mankind?

I have no reason to assume there is any such externally given purpose.

7. What do you value? How do you assign value?

My values are a result of my needs.

8. Where do you get the information that informs your beliefs?

My beliefs are uninformed. Else they weren´t "beliefs".

Which authorities do you trust?

None.

9. At the end of your life looking back, what do you hope to have accomplished?

Vivid, mutually fulfilling interaction with my fellow beings. (That´s what I´d say now. Maybe this will be different in the situation you are asking about).

What things would allow you to say that you have truly fulfilled your goals in life?

I guess if at the moment I die I will have the feeling "this is the right moment to die" would be an indication that things went pretty well for me.

 

[dayhiker]

1. What are your views about the existence and the nature of a supreme force or being?
The God of the Bible.
2. How did everything that exists get here?
God created it.
3. Is mankind good, evil, neither or both?
both
4. Why is there evil in our world?
We are a work in progress, this is part of the process to make us who God wants us to be.
5. What can be done about evil? Can the world be made right again?
If we do good.
6. What is the purpose and destiny of mankind?
love God and people.
7. What do you value? How do you assign value?
Based on what I want. I want to live so I buy food.
8. Where do you get the information that informs your beliefs? Which authorities do you trust?
Bible and my own research.
9. At the end of your life looking back, what do you hope to have accomplished? What things would allow you to say that you have truly fulfilled your goals in life?
Love God and people.

 

[jayem]

1) I don't believe in any supernatural supreme beings or forces.

2) I don't know with certainty, but most likely the matter/energy of the universe has always existed.

3) Good and evil are human judgments. Humans exhibit both traits.

4) If you mean human evil, it's because some people have less inhibitions on acting in anti-social ways. Probably a combination of innate neural architecture and environmental influences.

5) We can't do much about evil. Until we learn how to manipulate the neural factors which control behavior. Which could open a Pandora's Box.

6) Each person makes his own purpose in life. The ultimate destiny of mankind is to go extinct, like all other life forms on Earth seem to do. Unless we can leave this planet before that happens.

7) My family. My friends and others I care about. My career (health care.) I greatly value knowledge, and learning something new every day. Being happy.

8) My views derive from my formal education, my reading, and my life experiences. I generally trust sources which I have found to be reliable in the past. In my career, I rely on peer-reviewed, published literature and presentations at professional meetings.

9) I hope I'm remembered as someone who loved and cared for his family, and took good care of his patients.

 

[elephunky]

1. What are your views about the existence and the nature of a supreme force or being?
I do not believe in a supreme being but I see nature as a supreme force.

2. How did everything that exists get here?
I have theories but I have no way of knowing for sure.

3. Is mankind good, evil, neither or both?
Mankind has the ability to be one, the other and both.

4. Why is there evil in our world?
The same reason there is good in our world.

5. What can be done about evil? Can the world be made right again?
We need to try and proactively change the world.

6. What is the purpose and destiny of mankind?
To exist.

7. What do you value? How do you assign value?
I value life and the things I deem important in life.

8. Where do you get the information that informs your beliefs? Which authorities do you trust?
I trust science and my personal experience/intuition.

9. At the end of your life looking back, what do you hope to have accomplished? What things would allow you to say that you have truly fulfilled your goals in life?
I hope that I will have made a difference and contributed to bettering things here on earth.
I cannot define what would say it would be accomplished since it isnt a specific accomplishment per se

 

[Eudaimonist]

Have an assignment for class which is to get various views of people's worldviews, so I thought I would try here and see how people respond.

So, how did your assignment go?


eudaimonia,

Mark

 

[Spunkn]

It went good, thank you. We shared some of the different views in class and discussed different viewpoints and how those worldviews differ from one another. It was an interesting discussion.

 

[AphroditeGoneAwry]

Have an assignment for class which is to get various views of people's worldviews, so I thought I would try here and see how people respond. I will simply ask the questions and if you feel like responding then great. I will not be entering into any debates, I'm simply interested in responses to the questions. Thank you to anyone who decides to answer them.

Oh Goody!

1. What are your views about the existence and the nature of a supreme force or being?

"The LORD, the LORD God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abounding in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, by no means clearing the guilty...."

2. How did everything that exists get here?

"In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth."

3. Is mankind good, evil, neither or both?

Mankind is common. Some men who know God can become good. Still others can go on to become holy. Evil is perpetuated by mankind, but a force of anti-God exists, represented by the devil.

4. Why is there evil in our world?

Because without God, man's flesh is prone to things not of God. And things not of God ultimately become evil.

5. What can be done about evil? Can the world be made right again?

For all to love the LORD your God, walk in His ways, and hold fast to Him.

6. What is the purpose and destiny of mankind?

To glorify God

7. What do you value? How do you assign value?

I value God and glorify Him. Anything else is of the world and therefore not of God.

8. Where do you get the information that informs your beliefs? Which authorities do you trust?

God breathes his thoughts into me. It is my challenge to hear Him and discern His will from my own.

9. At the end of your life looking back, what do you hope to have accomplished? What things would allow you to say that you have truly fulfilled your goals in life?

Living the life and mission my LORD and Master has for me~

 

[Tinker Grey]

Sorry I missed this the first time around. I realize the assignment is over, but I'll respond anyway.

1. What are your views about the existence and the nature of a supreme force or being?

There is none.

2. How did everything that exists get here?

There was never a time when the universe didn't exist in some form. The universe as we see it now exists as a consequence of natural laws.

3. Is mankind good, evil, neither or both?

Inherently, neither.

4. Why is there evil in our world?

Evil isn't a thing. Evil is a term we ascribe to behaviors that we perceive as counter-productive to the functioning of society (on whatever level the context requires).

5. What can be done about evil? Can the world be made right again?

Educate ourselves as to the benefits of behaving in such a way as benefit our fellow humans.

6. What is the purpose and destiny of mankind?

Whatever we want it to be. Generally, to keep existing.

7. What do you value? How do you assign value?

Whatever is conducive to my continued existence and to that of those I love. (To avoid circularity, I have evolved to love those that contribute to a cohesive society. I cannot help that our species is social. I am social because our species is social.) I.e., I value what our species has evolved to value.

8. Where do you get the information that informs your beliefs? Which authorities do you trust?

I get it from reality--or, more precisely, my perception of reality. I trust my perception insofar as it gives me consistent results. I trust others insofar as their information provides consistent results. The same goes for authority. If an "authority" fails to provide consistent results, it is no longer an authority. (I.e., an authority is not an authority merely because it declared to be so.)

9. At the end of your life looking back, what do you hope to have accomplished? What things would allow you to say that you have truly fulfilled your goals in life?

I hope to be able to say I've had a happy life. I hope to be able to say that my children and grandchildren are happy and could say that I contributed to that happiness.

 

[Gottservant]

Have an assignment for class which is to get various views of people's worldviews, so I thought I would try here and see how people respond. I will simply ask the questions and if you feel like responding then great. I will not be entering into any debates, I'm simply interested in responses to the questions. Thank you to anyone who decides to answer them.

1. What are your views about the existence and the nature of a supreme force or being?

All things have a dual nature, even energy. So if there is a particular kind of energy throughout the universe, there is a particular kind of God throughout the universe, living in people through that energy in them.

2. How did everything that exists get here?

It built up, by gradual working of energy.

3. Is mankind good, evil, neither or both?

Mankind is evil or neither or both, but God alone is good.

4. Why is there evil in our world?

People screw up. Even perfect people are tempted with irrational sins.

5. What can be done about evil? Can the world be made right again?

Evil can be oppressed. If men do not oppress each other, the world can be made right.

6. What is the purpose and destiny of mankind?

To receive a reward from God.

7. What do you value? How do you assign value?

"What" is a prejudicial statement, you can equally ask "who" (the mistake is easy to make). I assign value by alignment with God.

8. Where do you get the information that informs your beliefs? Which authorities do you trust?

Experience is the only thing you can trust, even then it is not what people say it is. If I trust an authority, I trust the Holy Spirit, not God, not you.

9. At the end of your life looking back, what do you hope to have accomplished? What things would allow you to say that you have truly fulfilled your goals in life?

A simple question deserves a simple answer, but even a simple man's ambitions are greater than a single statement can encompass. If I had to put it down to one thing then, I would hope that I defended the simple man's right to fulfil all his ambitions.

Thanks for your time in asking these questions, answering them has helped me grow.

 

[Gottservant]

Hi, I am afraid I am unable to answer some of the questions because they appear to be loaded with premises I don´t share.



Why call a certain force "supreme", in the first place?


The big brown truck brought it.
Seriousness aside, I have a nagging suspicion that questions that make sense when asked within a certain system do not necessarily make sense when asked about the system itself.


Value judgements are a result of your expectations.


There isn´t evil in the world.


That entirely depends on what it is that you are suffering from.

Which world are we talking about when talking about the "right world" that once existed?


I have no reason to assume there is any such externally given purpose.


My values are a result of my needs.


My beliefs are uninformed. Else they weren´t "beliefs".


None.


Vivid, mutually fulfilling interaction with my fellow beings. (That´s what I´d say now. Maybe this will be different in the situation you are asking about).

I guess if at the moment I die I will have the feeling "this is the right moment to die" would be an indication that things went pretty well for me.

I have always respected your opinions quotana, now I realise why: you maintain an open perspective very diplomatically.