Assignment: Worldview Analysis & Inventory

Many beliefs that affect health care and the nursing profession emanate from different worldviews shaped by religions and personal experiences and ideologies. These perspectives shaped by religions influence a person’s overall perception of care, what health care providers should do and the impacts of these views on patients’ outcomes (Latifa et al., 2020). As such, this essay provides a worldview analysis and personal inventory based on different aspects of religion that impact health care delivery.

Christian Perspective Vs. Postmodern Relativism in Relation to

The acknowledgement of God is the foundation of the Christian perspective on ethics and spirituality. Christians advance that there is significant difference between right and wrong. The Bible guides Christians concerning their perspective, which forms a point of departure from postmodern relativism, especially in health care. The objective truth or reality is the foundation of the existence of postmodern relativism. Imperatively, it is not easy to develop a perspective on this basis in relation to healthcare as it is based on definite knowledge and facts associated with disease conditions and illness. Further, healthcare providers strive to get better patient outcomes that is based on information which they incorporate into their practices (Latifa et al., 2020). However, Christian perspective is founded on personal experience and is ethical all the time. As such, it is a complete parallel of postmodern relativism perspective.

In healthcare, spirituality implies that one believes that their higher being is one who holds the key to health, wellness, and disease. To be deeply spiritual implies that one has the power to call on God whenever they are sick so that He can intervene and heal them through the medical process. However, on its part, postmodern relativism is generally cynical perspective on the reality of disease and wellness. The concept questions reason and basis and importance of scientific knowledge which informs the modern practice in health and medicine. Postmodern relativism questions nursing and aimed at treatment of diseases since according to it, all actions possess no certainty and their effectiveness is relative (Marzband et al., 2017). Therefore, nothing absolutely certain exists in health care, including aspects like evidence-based practices. The implication is that the understanding of an illness is dependent on one’s perspective and perception.

Description and Arguments Against Scientism

Scientism is the belief that science has solutions to all questions that are meaningful or sensible. Scientism is the worldwide speculation on the universe and its meaning about the ultimate reality. Scientism advances that all knowledge in the world emanates from science and scientific endeavors. Therefore, all aspects in the world can only be explained based on the scientism philosophy. Two arguments exist against scientism by its opponents. Firstly, the free will of human beings is a phenomenon that scientism cannot explain. To demonstrate this aspect, the science of neurology and neurosurgery is still not able to explain the physiology behind human free will, morality and right and good as functions of the human brain (Hall, 2018). Further, science is still not able to explain significant areas of their brain’s functions. As such, scientism cannot purport to explain the process of human thought and free will as they appear to be extremely abstract phenomena devoid of any physiological processes.

The second argument against scientism is its dependence on the replicability of observations implying that an experiment in science can be repeated with similar outcomes obtained in different places. The whole idea of reliability and validity of research findings present plausible arguments against scientism. Further, science is limited and is not the sole source of knowledge though it is an effective wat of gaining fundamental experience (Burnett, 2020). Science remains one-sided and only provides answers to questions arising from scientific explanations.

i). Ultimate Reality

From an Islamic perspective, my conception of ultimate reality is the absolute practical situation that remains after all beliefs, assumptions, cult and conjectures are taken away. For Muslims, the ultimate reality is to live according to Allah’s promises and rules (Marzband et al., 2017). For instance, death while fighting against non-Muslim believers is rewarded and is a reality for all belong to the only one God by following the laid down Sharia.

ii). Nature of the Universe

The universe is all that exists in whatever state it is in on the earth and even beyond the skies. As human beings, we are just part of the universe and occupy a tiny speck on Earth. Humans strive to understand what lies beyond the Earth but have not succeeded (Latifa, 2020). As such, the universe and its nature remains a mystery for human beings.

iii). A Human Being

A human being is part of the living organisms found on Earth and in the universe. Human beings remain the most intelligent of all animals and is endowed with the intellectual capacity to think and reason. Human beings were created to spread goodness and Allah’s instructions through his prophets like Mohammed and Jesus Christ. Human beings have superior brains and can use knowledge to be agents of God in different areas of their lives.

iv). Knowledge

Knowledge denotes to abstract concept whose presence is demonstrate but whose real existence cannot be proven from a physical perspective. Human beings are not born with knowledge but accumulate it through experience and learning in their lives. Human beings have a brain that has the ability to learn through knowledge acquisition.

v). My personal Basis of Ethics

My personal basis of ethics comes from the Islamic worldview of doing what is good to the world and its people. As Muslim, I believe in the teachings of Prophet Mohammed and the Quran on what one ought to do to demonstrate their ethical aspects in life (Marzband et al., 2017). I should practice justice and protect innocent from any harm, including the influence to leave the Islamic religion.

vi). Purpose of My Existence

The purpose of my existence arises from my upbringing and Islamic teachings as found in the Koran as a Holy Book. I seek the good of each person and believe in leaving the world a better place than I found it through my personal endeavors and actions, especially as a health care providers caring for patients from diverse backgrounds.

Conclusion

Worldviews emanate from one’s religious beliefs, their upbringing and overall perspective on what they seek to attain in the world as health care providers. In this case, my personal worldview is shaped mainly by my religion, Islam and its perspective on different issues affecting humanity.

References

Burnett, T. (2020). What is scientism? American Association for the Advancement of Science

(AAAS). Retrieved February 19, 2021 from https://www.aaas.org/programs/dialogue-science-ethics-and-religion/what-scientism

Hall, S.  (2018). The philosophical case against scientism. Quillette. Retrieved February 19, 2021

from https://quillette.com/2018/04/05/philosophical-case-scientism/

Latifa, R., Hidayat, K. & Sodiq A. (2019). Commentary on Place Spirituality: An Islamic

Perspective. Archive for the Psychology of Religion, 41(1).

Marzband, R., Hosseini, S. H. & Hamzegardeshi, Z. (2016). A Concept Analysis of Spiritual

Care Based on Islamic Sources. Religions, 7(61). doi:10.3390/rel7060061