Reality

We use the term "reality" in many different contexts without even thinking about the semantics of the term itself. Reality, in philosophy, "is the state of things as they actually exist rather than as they may appear or might be imagined." In a broader definition, reality is everything that has existed, exists, or will exist.
My issue with reality is this: how do we discover reality in light of what we know regarding worldviews?

The above definition accurately states that reality is a state, but how do we know if that state is real or if it is a state imagined either by us or those presenting that state to us? A worldview defined is"the fundamental cognitive orientation of an individual or society encompassing the entirety of the individual or society's knowledge and point-of-view including natural philosophy; fundamental, existential, and normative postulates; or themes, values, emotions, and ethics." If this is true then how do we get to real reality?

Reality can be defined in ways that link it to worldview or parts of a worldview (conceptual frameworks): The idea of reality is this idea "of a totality of all things, structures (actual and conceptual), events (past and present) and phenomena, whether observable or not." It is what a world view (based on individual or shared human experiences) ultimately attempts to describe or map. This is where it gets complex as ideas from other fields shape and mold various views of reality. Many of these ideas are contrary to each other and lead to views of reality that directly challenge other views of reality until one is left not knowing what is real and what is not. Philosophy studies reality through various fields and approaches, from ontology to realism, all deal with reality in some way, shape of form.

We have all heard the cliques "perception is reality" or "Life is how you perceive reality" or "reality is what you can get away with." These all represent the view that there is no objective reality, whether acknowledged explicitly or not. And, I would tend to agree with this mindset up to a certain point. This mindset is rooted in the idea that we, human beings, are all that there is in life. We are the highest order and the only specie that can think, and therefore, we dominate all others. I would agree if this were all true, but it is not.

There is ample evidence that the world in which we live is not all that there is, but just a grain of sand on a beach covered in sand. If this is the case, then is it safe to define reality according to who we are? Do we merely exist (implying that we have evolved), or are we a created being? This is a heavy question worthy of deep critical analysis because its answer will set in motion a different mindset on reality. The answer will force us to re-consider a reality that has its origin in who we are. A reality rooted in who we are is easily manipulated and used for one's own purpose, but a reality rooted in something or someone outside of who we are, well, there are strong and severe implications to consider.

As a Christian, my reality is not defined by who I am or who someone else is in my life. My reality is defined by the Bible and my continued growing knowledge of who Jesus Christ is. What is your reality? Who defines it? Do you live as if you define reality? Do you live allowing another other than Christ to define it for you? Good questions for all of us to consider. Blessings!