Worldviews: Beliefs and Beyond

Semester Elective Unit

Prerequisites

There are no prerequisites.

Course Description

Worldviews: Beliefs & Beyond is a dynamic CARE elective inviting students to grapple with life’s biggest questions: Who are we? Why are we here? What is truth? How should we live?

Through an engaging exploration of both religious and non-religious worldviews, students will delve beyond core beliefs and historical context to thoughtfully examine each worldview’s unique perspectives on reality, human nature, knowledge, morality, purpose, and the afterlife.

This subject blends historical insight, critical reflection, and student-led dialogue. Students will encounter the foundational stories, key figures, and cultural contexts behind major worldviews, then step back to reflect on their own responses through journaling and collaborative Harkness-style discussions. Each worldview offers a fresh lens, challenging students to examine their assumptions, understand differing perspectives, and consider the practical impact of beliefs on everyday life.

Throughout the course, students will develop empathy, critical thinking, and confidence in expressing their own views. They will learn to compare and evaluate worldviews, express personal insights through reflective writing, and engage in respectful dialogue about complex and sometimes controversial topics. The unit empowers students not only to understand global ideas but also to articulate and refine their own beliefs and values in a rapidly changing world.

By the end of this subject, students will have built a personal portfolio of reflections and insights, equipping them to navigate questions of meaning, identity, and ethics with curiosity and courage.

Areas of Study

Exploring Foundations and Major Worldviews
In this unit, students explore what it means to have a worldview and why it matters. They examine the foundational beliefs and perspectives of major worldviews—such as Christianity, Islam, Buddhism, and Modernism—to understand how these shape ideas about identity, meaning, purpose, and truth. Through guided reflection and discussion, students develop skills in analysis, comparison, and self-reflection, culminating in an assessment that invites them to articulate how their own thinking about worldviews has evolved.

Contemporary Lenses and Comparative Inquiry
This unit invites students to consider how contemporary worldviews—including Postmodernism, Feminism, Consumerism, and Altruism—offer new ways of understanding truth, identity, values, and social change. Students critically analyse these perspectives and reflect on their influence in the modern world. Their learning culminates in a Comparative Project and Final Reflection, where they evaluate how different worldviews shape responses to life’s biggest questions and express their own developing beliefs and values.

Assessment

• Worldviews in Motion
• Life’s Big Questions: A Comparative Inquiry