VIEWS OF THE WORLD
"A look at different points of view"

Different Viewpoints

If you look at any serious problem in the world, the chances are good that people will have several points of view about it. Suppose a war breaks out between two countries. Right away, you can see two strong points of view - otherwise, why would there be fighting?

These differences in opinion do not just occur without a reason. They rise from the different economic, political, social, and religious outlooks that people in a country have. In each nation a variety of factors combine to produce a distinct point of view. What happened to people in these countries in the past - from the way they were taught the difference from right and wrong to the kinds of governments they lived with - affects the way they think. Citizens of a country are influenced by what happens in their country.

1. What factors influence a person's point of view?

A Central Viewpoint

The idea that the world centers around "us" is called centrism. Sometimes the "us" is a country. Or it may be an entire continent. Much of the world in the last century has been dominated by a Eurocentric, or Western point of view, which has grown out of the history and culture of Europe and its former colonies like America. Many cultures around the world do not agree with the decisions of the US government or they do not respect American citizens because they feel that America is too Eurocentric. They feel that Americans are spoiled and are not in touch with the "standards of living" for others around the world. The view point of some cultures around the world is that Americans cannot be relied upon because US citizens cannot relate to how others live.

By looking at Australia, we can think about centrism. What does the world look like from "down under"? Well, to start with, Australians don't think of themselves as "down under". That expression comes from Europeans Americans who see Australia as a place that is on the other side of the world.

Look at the map to see how a map of the world would look if Australia, rather than Europe or the United States, is at the center of the map.

To some extent, Australia shares a European point of view. That is because the country was settled largely by Europeans. But, in many other ways, Australians have developed their own unique perspective. That greatly affects how Australians view the world and its problems.

2. Why do Australians often share a European point of view on issues??

3. What does it mean to be Eurocentric??

Conflicting Points of View

Difficulties arise when people in one part of the world feel that their point of view is being abused by the viewpoint of a more powerful region. Many people in the West - the United States and its non-Communist allies in Europe and the Western Hemisphere - think that their ideas should be shared by people everywhere. But in many parts of the world, ideas about democracy, the role of women, and even the calendar do not follow Western ideas. It is sometimes hard for Westerners to realize that not everyone wants what they want.

4. Why is it so important for people in a modern age to understand other people's points of view??

The Gregorian Calendar

In the West, we measure time using the Gregorian calendar, which was developed to replace an inaccurate old Roman calendar. The abbreviations A.D. (anno Domini, or "the year of our Lord") or B.C. ("before Christ") used in dates, imply, or suggest, that the birth of Christ was a central point in history. But a Buddhist or a Jew would not consider the birth of Christ to be so important.

In fact, there are other calendars in use of the world today. The Chinese calendar begins in 2698 B.C. on the Gregorian calendar. The Islamic calendar begins on the date when Mohammed traveled from Mecca to Medina (622 on the Gregorian calendar). The Hebrew calendar begins in 3760 B.C. You can compare dates on the Hebrew and Gregorian calendars by looking at the time line below.

In spite of the existence of all these other calendars, the Gregorian calendar is used around the world for keeping track of time. To avoid ties to one specific religion or culture, many scholars now prefer to use the abbreviation C.E. ("common era") to replace A.D., and B.C.E. ("before the common era") to replace B.C.

Centrists Labels

The way people in the West label regions also shows their centrist views. For example, Middle East is a Western term for the area at the eastern end of the Mediterranean Sea. The term only makes sense to someone who is in the West looking east. A less centrist name for the area would be Southwest Asia.

Centrism will always exist to some degree. Different people will never view the world in exactly the same way. Yet, in order to live in peace, we must remember that our point of view is not the only one. If we look at problems from other points of view, we will be better able to see the universal human truths that bind all people together. Differences in ways of looking at things color much of what happens in the world.

5. Use what you know from your own experiences to explain the advantages or disadvantages of centrism.

Keep going to the Points of View activity