In its simplest sense, the word “world” generally refers to everything which exists in the universe, to all of reality or, in its more general sense, to all that exists. The nature of this world is generally conceived differently in various disciplines. Some conceptions regard the entire world as unique whilst others speak of a “plurality of worlds” in which each world is merely a portion of a larger world.
The world concept is the central idea of metaphysics, cosmology and religious writings from all over the world. From the time of the ancient Greeks up to the present day, there have been attempts to describe the world in terms of its parts of a larger whole. These include Parmenides’ distinction between the world’s substance and the soul and the transcendental agent by which the world exists. This later group of philosophers, known as the Perennialists, made common the idea that the world is infinite and that it possesses a finality, or rather, that there is no such thing as an ultimate reality that escapes the comprehension of human minds.
In recent years, however, some philosophers have taken to portraying the world as a meaningless conglomeration of atomic and molecular interactions. In these theories, there is neither a center nor a sphere, and everything is a mere part of a much larger world. The world appears to be less comprehensible than earlier theories attributed to God and angels. Still, these theories do not completely dismiss the possibility of some supreme being. Philosophy courses commonly cover these various perspectives on the world in order to give students a better understanding of its various concepts.
The world and the universe are seen to be unified, one can say that everything exists because of everything else. Everything has a definite place and each part has a definite function. The metaphysics of this unity present a problem for scientists who seek to explain the laws of nature. It is a source of confusion because, as the theories suggest, one cannot simultaneously explain the effects of changes in matter and the existence of a single entity that would be the source of all changes.
In order to make things clearer, it is helpful to mention one other approach to explaining reality. One could say that the world and the universe are made up of ‘finite matter’. In simpler terms, this type of philosophy puts philosophy into play when it comes to explaining what exists in the world. Many modern people believe that philosophy is the only way to fully comprehend the workings of the world and to grasp the secrets of its workings. The methods used to reach this conclusion are many, and they include scientific methodologies such as astronomy and quantum mechanics.
Whether one agrees with religious beliefs or not, it is undeniable that the study of philosophy is extremely beneficial to one’s personal life and career. In the end, however, it is the personal decision whether or not to pursue philosophy courses. Those who choose to do so will gain knowledge about the world and how it works. They may also discover methods by which to make the most of life in the best possible way.