What is worldview?

In this DIIS Working Paper Elena Paola Carola Alessiato outlines the implications of worldviews being 'total and universal' at the same time. The point of departure is the definitions of Wilhelm Dilthey and Karl Jaspers, both of whom thematised the concept of Weltanschauung at the beginning of the 20th century. Alessiato depicts some peculiar and constitutive traits of the concept, and offers reflections on potential conflictuality between contrary or competing worldviews. 

The paper is part of the Worldview Initiative at DIIS coordinated collaboratively by Lars Erslev Andersen and Mona Kanwal Sheikh.  It is part of a series of papers on the concept of worldviews, and among others based on a workshop with scholars and practitioners from the mediation field convened in collaboration with Harvard University.