Evolving Paradigms – Van Sell Nursing's worldview has shifted from a Descartes mechanistic one to a holistic & evolving ecological worldview Kuhn defined a Paradigm as “a constellation of achievements – concept, values, techniques, etc. shared by a scientific community and used by that community to define legitimate problems and solutions.”

Three Paradigms in Nursing ● Mechanical Paradigm – based on reductionism, body as machine, gender inequality, mechanical universe, focus on disease, now receding ● Holistic Paradigm – based on wholism, body as holistic (body, mind, heart, spirit), equality for all, integrated whole universe, focus on health & balance, euda imonistic, now shifting ● Deep Ecological Paradigm – focuses on the interdependence of all, views nature as context, exocentric, now evolving

Basic Beliefs - Leffel ● Human history is the story of people seeking answers to questions that only beings aware of their own existence could ask. These questions relate to the meaning of life, the inevitability of death, the rules governing society, the nature of reality and so on. These are the concerns that force us into forming basic beliefs.

Foundational Ideas in Beliefs ● Reality – What exists? What is the nature of reality? Affects all other beliefs. ● Human Nature – Who am I? What is the nature of human beings? Do we have purpose? What direction are we going in? ● Values – What is the nature of goodness? What is our moral responsibility? What are our life goals? ● Truth – What is the nature of knowledge? We all think our beliefs are “true”.

3 Basic Worldviews ● Theism – Monotheism - “there is 1 God” - are 2 realms (material & spiritual) reality is grounded in an infinite, personal and transcendent God ● Naturalism – Only the material natural realm is real. Science can unlock the mysteries of the universe. Humans are simply biology. ● Pantheism – Only the spiritual (energy) realm is real. All are one, reality is unity.

YOUR WORLD VIEW The elements of one's worldview, the beliefs about certain aspects of Reality, are one's: EPISTEMOLOGY: beliefs about the nature and sources of knowledge; METAPHYSICS: beliefs about the ultimate nature of Reality; COSMOLOGY: beliefs about the origins and nature of the universe, life, and especially Man; TELEOLOGY: beliefs about the meaning and purpose of the universe, its inanimate elements, and its inhabitants; THEOLOGY: beliefs about the existence and nature of God; ANTROPOLOGY: beliefs about the nature and purpose of Man in general and, oneself in particular; AXIOLOGY: beliefs about the nature of value, what is good and bad, what is right and wrong.

PERSONAL WORLDVIEW

WORLDVIEW IN CONTEXT

WORTH EXAMINING “Your worldview -- anyone's worldview -- is too important to ignore. If there is such a thing as obligation, we as knowing, thinking beings have an obligation to examine, articulate, refine, communicate, and consciously and consistently apply our worldviews. To fail to do so is to be something less than human. Socrates, during his trial for being impious to the Greek gods and corrupting the youth of Athens by his teachings, said "... the unexamined life is not worth living..." (Plato, Apology).” - Ken Funk, 2001

WHAT IS YOUR WORLDVIEW? Click to Explore Your Own Worldview What is Your Worldview?