The Nature and Necessity of Worldviews | Dallas Willard at UCLA

Renowned Christian philosopher and USC professor Dallas Willard discusses the ways we come to truth and our worldviews. | UCLA, 4/25/2003 | Explore more at www.veritas.org.
Want Veritas updates in your inbox? Subscribe to our twice-monthly newsletter here:
www.veritas.org/newsletter-yt
INSTAGRAM: / veritasforum
FACEBOOK: / veritasforum
SUBSCRIBE: / subscription_. .
Over the past two decades, The Veritas Forum has been hosting vibrant discussions on life's hardest questions and engaging the world's leading colleges and universities with Christian perspectives and the relevance of Jesus. Learn more at www.veritas.org, with upcoming events and over 600 pieces of media on topics including science, philosophy, music, business, medicine, and more!

[@sandymikhail7027]

Thank you for making Dr. Dallas Willard recordings available 😍

[@mikelook2762]

amazing talk

[@kathya4645]

I read that his last words on this earth were," Thank You."

[@andrewmcmillan2921]

Mark Twain said it is not what we dont know that will hurt us. It is what we know but aint so that will hurt us.

[@b.terenceharwick3222]

An excellent presentation and quality Q&A on the unavoidable role of one's assumptions and so world view upon any form of inquiry. Dallas points out there is an integral & enduring relation between assumptions one holds or considers and corresponding notions one may explore actively of reality, of truth, and pursuit of knowledge, in any field of human inquiry. These fundamental underlying questions as to reality, truth, and knowledge are legitimate forms of inquiry -- or not. One's assumptions have decisive consequences for what follows in anyone's inquiry. Dallas points out how social constructions of the last century have arbitrarily given priority to CONCLUSIONS (or where one comes out from basic assumptions and so what type of evidence is selected) over LOGICAL INQUIRY that are grounded in an open-ended-evidence-based approach to inquiry. At the level of world view in any age, inquiry is framed by how one delimits what counts as parameters and the depth of human experience and existence. Correspondingly, this oft-disguised inversion of conclusion and logical inquiry is frequently used to leave the opposition speechless (or label them irrelevant). It is through the seldom articulated yet oft-pervasive inversion today that current events are typically interpreted. The consequences of this inversion is far-reaching. It is to effectively CLOSE OFF inquiry. Dallas expressly points out practical consequences that apply to everything from questions in the academy and in life that may be asked to arguments for war, fatuously made to support conclusions already formed. In no case, does the inversion problem go away for those who continue to think with their body, mind, and spirit. Elsewhere Dallas points out there is no ism able to answer the important questions for us. Each person may choose to face core questions -- that recurs at each dimension of our lives directly -- or not. In short, this INVERSION of conclusion and authentic inquiry is a principal challenge -- at every dimension of life -- to the age in which we live. Indeed, the approach actually taken, beginning at the elemental level of world view present at any time, will be up to living persons in every generation for as far as one can see into the future.

[@ambassador_in_training]

Thank you very much for your in depth reply. I read through it and enjoyed it. I have come recently to believe that one's presuppositions in life determine everything else. Our worldview serves as the eye glasses through which we see everything else in life. I used to think that by looking and thinking about the evidence one should easily come to an undeniable conclusion, but I was wrong. I became very frustrated with the reality that no matter how much evidence you throw at a person they would not be persuaded. Then I learned about the concept of worldview and how one's presuppositions interpret the reality the look at. This fundamental change in my understanding came through listening and studying a couple of great philosophers & theologians: Cornelius Van Till and his student Greg Bahnsen. Greg Bahnsen has made Van Till's thought more understandable, for which I am very grateful.

[@feliceboccella8191]

La verità è in Gesù e c’è la necessità del dono della fede! Gesù è verità e la vita!questo dono va chiesto con umiltà!!! Amen

[@davidbentley4664]

Not all world views are good. Especially in this day and age. People the world over have a world view that is based on wrong, that which is bad, and that which is immoral. You can tell by the way they live their lives, and what they say, and believe in. It is called thinking the U.N. way. It is Godless. What is necessary is to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ for a lost and dying world.

[@mimihapa2633]

I agree David. Well said. Perhaps a little less global relativist thinking and more scripture

[@robertthomas6325]

How in the world do I get to hear Dr. Khun's talk? can anyone find that video?

[@roughdraught153]

Are you sure he's referring to THomas Kuhn? He does refer to the other lecturer as "Professor Kuhns" during the Q&A towards the end of the video...

[@aaronprofitt7317]

I think this may be the video of the other speaker: vimeo.com/9196750

[@roughdraught153]

Thanks so much for that! Really appreciate it.

[@robertthomas6325]

Aaron Profitt thanks so much. Just found your comment today and loved the lecture Dr. KHUN’s gives!

[@jt15d5]

@@robertthomas6325 Could you provide the link?? I'm just seeing these and would enjoy hearing the comments made prior to D. Willard. Thank you!

[@roughdraught153]

What's Dr Khun's first name? I want to be able to google him....

[@roughdraught153]

Who is the other lecturer then that answers questions at the end?

[@taowaycamino4891]

Robert, I think.

[@sisyphushappy5200]

06:54 one's tempted to say all of the laws of physics.

[@Stealthkiller17]

How can you proof that worldviews almost never manifest intelectually? Whitout that Proof the presentation falls apart.

[@shedininja001]

@shedininja001 in short- everyone has a world view - no one is immune to this , but you utterly failed to address the real question here- sidesteping it with "what physics" (okay lets say phyiscs , sure - ) how about the physics of once an object is at rest it stays at rest, or the physics of decay? These pretty much point to the same thing as bioligy did - unless you BELIVE that miricals are possilbe and actual, you cant afferm that the resuration happened. Those that did belive did

[@shedininja001]

@shedininja001 but that really shows the flaw- you assume due to YOUR worldview that the people (whoever they were we do not know!) who wrote the bible were - telling the truth, (and not what they THOUGHT OR BELIVED WAS TRUE) and that they are somehow not infuanced by there world view. Whats good for the goose is good for the gander. you failed on a critical level to answer this question. SHAME ON YOU.