1. The Grand Paradigms:
Some of the really big paradigms from the history
Adapted fromTheory of Knowledge by Nick Alchin
2. The Grand Paradigms:
Some of the really big paradigms from the history
The Classical Paradigm
The Enlightenment Paradigm
The Modern Paradigm
Adapted fromTheory of Knowledge by Nick Alchin
3. The Classical Paradigm
• Humans are at the center of the Universe
• Humans were placed there by God(s)
• Humans purpose is the worship of the God(s)
• Religion is the path to truth
4. The Classical Paradigm
• Humans are at the center of the Universe
• Humans were placed there by God(s)
• Humans purpose is the worship of the God(s)
• Religion is the path to truth
5. The Classical Paradigm
• Humans are at the center of the Universe
• Humans were placed there by God(s)
• Humans purpose is the worship of the God(s)
• Religion is the path to truth
6. The Classical Paradigm
• Humans are at the center of the Universe
• Humans were placed there by God(s)
• Humans purpose is the worship of the God(s)
• Religion is the path to truth
7. The Classical Paradigm
God(s)
Humans
Animals
Anything else
Hierarchy of Importance and power
8. The Enlightenment
Paradigm
• Man is rationally superior to all things.
• Reason is a gift from God or nature
• Man’s purpose is to investigate the universe
• Science is the source of truth
9. The Enlightenment
Paradigm
• Man is rationally superior to all things.
• Reason is a gift from God or nature
• Man’s purpose is to investigate the universe
• Science is the source of truth
10. The Enlightenment
Paradigm
• Man is rationally superior to all things.
• Reason is a gift from God or nature
• Man’s purpose is to investigate the universe
• Science is the source of truth
11. The Enlightenment
Paradigm
• Man is rationally superior to all things.
• Reason is a gift from God or nature
• Man’s purpose is to investigate the universe
• Science is the source of truth
12. The Enlightenment
Paradigm
God
Mind
Design
Order
Chaos
Nothing
Hierarchy of Importance and power
13. The Modern Paradigm
• Humans are random evolutionary accidents
• Humankind is one of billion biological species
• There is no God
• There is no purpose to life
• There is no path to truth
14. The Modern Paradigm
• Humans are random evolutionary accidents
• Humankind is one of a billion biological species
• There is no God
• There is no purpose to life
• There is no path to truth
15. The Modern Paradigm
• Humans are random evolutionary accidents
• Humankind is one of a billion biological species
• There is no God
• There is no purpose to life
• There is no path to truth
16. The Modern Paradigm
• Humans are random evolutionary accidents
• Humankind is one of a billion biological species
• There is no God
• There is no given purpose to life
• There is no path to truth
17. The Modern Paradigm
• Humans are random evolutionary accidents
• Humankind is one of a billion biological species
• There is no God
• There is no given purpose to life
• There is no path to truth
20. The Classical Paradigm
The Enlightenment Paradigm
The Modern Paradigm
• Which paradigm do you believe is correct?
• Identify the central belief of the paradigm,
without which it would fall apart.
21. The Classical Paradigm
The Enlightenment Paradigm
The Modern Paradigm
• Which paradigm do you believe is correct?
• Identify the central belief of the paradigm,
without which it would fall apart.
22. The Classical Paradigm
The Enlightenment Paradigm
The Modern Paradigm
• The grand paradigms have no necessary
link with truth. Are there other grand
paradigms?
• Reflect on your own beliefs. How have you
come to make a judgement on the validity
of those beliefs?
23. Consider how one would answer the following under
each of the Grand Paradigms
• Why are we here?
• How did we get here?
• What is the purpose of life?
• Is there extraterrestrial life?
• What happens after death?
• What is our relationship with nature?
• Why does evil exist?
• What is right and wrong?
• Where do our beliefs of right and wrong come from?
24. The Classical Paradigm
The Enlightenment Paradigm
The Modern Paradigm
Is the Modern Paradigm the last one?
26. The Classical Paradigm
The Enlightenment Paradigm
The Modern Paradigm
Don’t the three Grand Paradigms considered coexist
for different people in our world?
27. The Classical Paradigm
The Enlightenment Paradigm
The Modern Paradigm
What will the next Big Paradigm look like?
