SESSION 8
WORLDVIEWS AND IDEOLOGIES
• Philosophical Worldviews
• Social Ideologies
SESSION 8A
WORLDVIEW PERSPECTIVES
The Ineffable, Encompassing Mystery of “Prime Reality”
?
?
Pantheism (All)
Monotheism (One)
Gnostic
& Agnostic
Polytheism (Many)
Atheism (None)
WORLDVIEW PERSPECTIVES
The Ineffable and Encompassing Mystery
of “Prime Reality”
?
?
Idealism
Dualism
Finitude: The Limits
of Human Knowledge
Panpsychism
?
Physicalism
?
WORLDVIEW PERSPECTIVES
The Ineffable, Encompassing Mystery of “Prime Reality”
?
Primacy of Mind
?
Dual: Mind/Matter
Finitude: The Limits
of Human Knowledge
Integral: Mind-Matter
?
Primacy of Matter
?
WORLDVIEW PERSPECTIVES
The Ineffable, Encompassing Mystery of “Prime Reality”
?
?
Intuitionism
Rationalism
Finitude: The Limits
of Human Knowledge
Aestheticism
?
Scientism
?
WORLDVIEW PERSPECTIVES
The Ineffable, Encompassing Mystery of “Prime Reality”
?
?
Pre-Modernism
Traditionalism
Finitude and the Limits
of Human Knowledge
Post-Modernism
?
Modernism
?
WORLDVIEW PERSPECTIVES
The Ineffable, Encompassing Mystery of “Prime Reality”
?
One Divine Self
One Reconciled Self
Finitude: The Limits of
Human Knowledge
Many Constructed
Selves
?
One Biological Self
?
?
WORLDVIEW PERSPECTIVES
Left: Feminine
Dialectical Center
Right: Masculine
Pantheism: All
Pan-en-theism
Monotheism: One
Henotheism
Gnosis & Agnostic
Deism
Polytheism: Many
Esotericism
Atheism: None
What happens when each of these worldview perspectives enters into
critically reflective debate and constructive dialogue with each other?
What ought to be the optimal desired motive and outcome?
THE PARADOXICAL WISDOM OF THE EAST
• Private
• Feminine
• Rural
• Emptiness
• No Self
• Impermance
• Fullness
• True Self
• Essence
Taoist
Hindu
Buddhist
Confucian
• Public
• Masculine
Urban
INTERPRETIVE THEOLOGICAL SCHOOLS
WITHIN THE THREE MAJOR WESTERN RELIGIONS
Interpretations: 1. Judaism
2. Christianity
3. Islam
A. Historical
Moses
Jesus
Mohammed
B. Spiritual
The Liberator
The Redeemer
The Prophet
C. Literal
Historical/Mythic Historical/Mythic Historical/Mythic
D. Symbolic
Special
Revelation
Prophetic
Eschatology
Mystical Union
E. Exoteric
F. Esoteric
Special
Revelation
Messianic
Eschatology
Mystical Union
Special
Revelation
Apocalyptic
Eschatology
Mystical Union
THE WORLDVIEW PERSPECTIVES
WITHIN DIFFERENT HISTORICAL AGES
Pre-Modern:
Modern:
Post-Modern:
Trans-Modern:
Symbolic, Sagacious, Prophetic, Mystical
Rational, Skeptical, Naturalistic, Empirical
Eclectic, Ironic, Whimsical, Constructivist
Existential, Pragmatic, Pluralistic, Pragmatic
Q. What difference does it make for inter-worldview dialogue whether our
given epistemological approach is pre-modern, modern, post-modern or
trans-modern?
Q. Why do these given epistemological approaches go on largely
undetected? Why do they tend to “talk past each other?”
THE WORLDVIEW PERSPECTIVES
WITHIN DIFFERENT HISTORICAL AGES
Pre-Modern:
Modern:
Post-Modern:
Trans-Modern:
Symbolic, Sagacious, Prophetic, Mystical
Rational, Skeptical, Naturalistic, Empirical
Eclectic, Ironic, Whimsical, Constructivist
Existential, Pragmatic, Pluralistic, Pragmatic
Q. What difference does it make for inter-worldview dialogue whether we
interpret various worldview assumptions, beliefs, visions and values
LITERALLY, SYMBOLICALLY, METAPHORICALLY OR MYTHICALLY?
Q. What happens when the question shifts from what is “Objective”
Literal Truth to what is Symbolically Meaningful and Mythically
Evocative?
WHAT HAPPENS TO “INTERFAITH DIALOGUE” WHEN
WISDOM TRADITIONS ARE ASKING ESSENTIALLY
DIFFERENT QUESTIONS…AND DON’T KNOW IT?
• Sagacious: How does one live a whole, balanced, noble
and humane life?
• Shamanic: How does one “travel psychically” between the
worlds, bringing back gifts of insight to the community?
• Prophetic: How does one seek justice, love mercy and
practice reverence for life?
• Mystical: How does one experience Non-Dual
Contemplative or Ecstatic Unitive Consciousness?
WHAT HAPPENS TO “INTER-DISCIPLINARY DIALOGUE”
WHEN THE DOMAINS ARE ASKING DIFFERENT QUESTIONS?
• Philosophical: What can we know about reality through rational
thought?
• Historical: What are the events of history and how do we make
sense of it all?
• Literary: What are the uses of setting, character, narrative and
metaphors?
• Artistic: What are the meaning and significance of music and the
fine arts?
• Scientific: What can we know through observing, counting and
measuring?
THE CULTURAL SHIFT FROM CHRISTIAN THEISM TO
SPIRITUALITY AND SECULARITY IN WESTERN SOCIETY
• Orthodox Christianity: Theism: One Sovereign, Loving, Just,
Personal God; Man Created, Fallen, Redeemed, Transfigured
• Christian Pantheism: All is Divine, or Part of the Divine, the
One Trans-Personal Creative Principle
• Christian Deism: Impersonal, Rational Divine Benevolence
• Christian Liberalism: Universal Inclusive Kindness and Mercy
• Pan-en-theism: All is In God; God is in All; God is Emergent
• Cx Radicalism: Non-Realism: God-Talk is Symbolic, Mythic,
Poetic, Metaphorical; “God Is Love” means “It is Good to Love”
THE CULTURAL SHIFT FROM CHRISTIAN THEISM TO
SPIRITUALITY AND SECULARITY IN WESTERN SOCIETY
• Eclectic Spirituality: Therapeutic Techniques for Healing
• Religious Naturalism: The Wonder, Awe, Grandeur and Beauty
of Nature Is Enough – within the context of scientific materialism
• Secular Materialism: Utilitarian Focus on Business, Finance,
Politics, Military, Science, Technology, News, Entertainment
• Existentialism: Seeking Meaning in an Indifferent Universe
• Constructive and Destructive Nihilism: Nature and Humans
Create and Destroy; Symbiosis and Predation are both the Way
of Nature. “Reality” is existentially & ethically Ambiguous at best.
You decide! You create your own contingent “reality”.
WORLDVIEW PERSPECTIVES
WHAT IS THE FUNDAMENTAL NATURE OF REALITY?
Dual-Aspect Monism
Mind-In-Matter: Aristotle
Meta-physical Idealism
Mind-Is-Primal: Plato
Living the
Question?
Mind-Body Dualism
Two-Realities: Descartes
Physical Materialism
Matter-Is-Primal: Lucretius
EPISTEMOLOGICAL WAYS OF KNOWING
“WE HAVE MET THE ENEMY & THEY ARE PARTLY RIGHT!”
Mind: Reason
Philosopher’s Gift
Spirit: Sacred Science
Mystic’s Gift
Inclusive Pluralism
Or Exclusive Choices?
Body: Senses
Scientist’s Gift
Soul: Feeling
Shaman’s Gift
SESSION 8B
SOCIAL IDEOLOGIES
Liberal:
Progress
Conservative:
Tradition
Unity &
Plurality
Communitarian:
Community
Libertarian:
Individuality
THE SOCIAL IDEOLOGIES
Left
Center
Right
Liberal
Government
<Insiders>
Progress & Tradition
Conservative
Corporations
Community,
Public Sector
“The Commons”
Social Sector
Individual,
Private Sector
Communitarian
Communes
<Outsiders>
Libertarian
Compounds
Occupy vs. Tea Party
ARE CRITICAL REFECTION, CONSTRUCTIVE DIALOGUE,
MUTUAL RESPECT AND CIVIL SOCIETY POSSIBLE?
Identical
Correspondence
(Absorption)
A & B correspond
identically to each
other, saying the same
thing in different
symbolic language, as
in “syncretism”
Comparative
Correlation
(Dialogue)
A & B have partial
comparative
correlations with each
other without being
either totally identical
or totally incompatible
Totally
Incommensurable
(Polarization)
A & B are so radically
different from each
other as to be beyond
all comparative
correlation or search
for common ground
THE WISDOM OF THE POST-MODERN IRONIST
-RICHARD RORTY, CONTINGENCY, IRONY & SOLIDARITY
1. “She has radical and continuing doubts about the final
vocabulary she currently uses, because she has been
impressed by other vocabularies, vocabularies taken as
final by people or books she
has encountered;
2. “She realizes that argument phrased in her present
vocabulary can neither underwrite nor dissolve these
doubts;
THE WISDOM OF THE POST-MODERN IRONIST
-RICHARD RORTY, CONTINGENCY, IRONY & SOLIDARITY
3. “Insofar as she philosophizes about her situation, she
does not think that her vocabulary is (necessarily) closer
to reality than others, that it is in touch with a power not
herself.”
• A Post-Modern Ironist will tend to believe the
Conservative, Liberal, Libertarian and Communitarian
social philosophies might each be “partly right” and
“pragmatically useful” within various social, economic,
and political contexts. It is comfortable with paradox.
THE FOURTH HORIZON:
TECHNOLOGY, ENTERTAINMENT, DESIGN
THE FOUR HORIZONS
EXPANDING OUR PERCEIVED REALITY (“UMVELT”)
Transcendence
Humanity
1
3
4
2
Nature
Technology
EXPANDING OUR “WISDOM” VOCABULARY
• Arete: Excellence in all human endeavors
• Eudemonia: Happiness and human flourishing
• Autodidact: Self-directed life-long learner
• Polymath: Knowledgeable in many domains
• Savant: a person of profound or extensive
learning; a scholar with extraordinary insights
• Sage: a wise old soul, seasoned and mature
CULTIVATING PRIMAL WISDOM PRACTICES
• Nature, Silence, Solitude, Contemplation, Reading,
Journal-Writing, Creative Writing, Music, Art, Poetry,
Story-Telling, Walking, Movement, Drama, Dance,
Traveling, Conversation, Community, Celebration,
Gardening, Cooking, Hospitality, Service, etc.…
• What are your primal wisdom practices?
ABOUT VILLA SOPHIA
• VILLA SOPHIA is a Wisdom Community that
explores the integral values of spirituality,
wholeness, creativity, education, leadership and
service, weaving them together into a
transformative way of living in today's world.
• It seeks to make meaningful connections
between “the four horizons” of transcendence,
nature, humanity and technology.
FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT:
RICH LANG
Villa Sophia Wisdom Community
~
1107 Holton Road, Talent, OR 97540
Cell Phone: 541-941-4394
Email: worldsmany2@live.com
Web/Blog: villasophiasalon.wordpress.com