# Weltanschauung



## die

Can someone please tell me what does this word mean?
Thanks in advance


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## Jana337

Difficult.  English uses the German word, which speaks for itself.

Janas Weltanschauung means "the world according to Jana". It is a whole and (usually) consistent framework - or a set of values, experiences, convictions etc. - whereby an individual interprets the world.

Perhaps a breakdown helps: Welt + anschauen - to view the world.

Hope this helps. 

Jana


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## Kajjo

It is still bewildering for me that a language can live without the concept of "Weltanschauung". Weltanschauung is the sum of how someone perceives the world and of what he believes to be true or important.

His religion and ideologies, ethics and knowledge, his philosophy of life usually are part of someone's Weltanschauung. 

Kajjo


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## rustymason

Does "world view" capture the German meaning?


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## Jana337

rustymason said:
			
		

> Does "world view" capture the German meaning?


 That's how Wikipedia translates it but I perceive the German word as much - and I mean much - deeper.

Jana


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## cyanista

What about "life philosophy"? Is it only a part of a greater concept "Weltanschauung" or a justified equivalent? As I see it, it also includes beliefs, values and judgements...

What do you think?


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## Jana337

cyanista said:
			
		

> What about "life philosophy"? Is it only a part of a greater concept "Weltanschauung" or a justified equivalent? As I see it, it also includes beliefs, values and judgements...
> 
> What do you think?


 I am afraid that all attempts at a good translation are futile (which does not mean that I want to discourage anyone from trying to arrive at one! ). "Life philosophy" does not seem to be a popular concept in English. The Google search gives you irrelevant results such as "... Life: Philosophy..." and "Pro-Life Philosophy" (in the context of abortions) already on the first page.

"Philosophy of life" is more hopeful but still very imperfect. It captures my being a fatalist who hates quarrels and thinks twice before making a decision (I beseech you to take these as random examples - do not jump to conclusions about Jana's Weltanschauung, please ), but what does it say about my opinion on what is to blame for the economic woes of the Third World? Nothing. Weltanschauung, on the other hand, is all-encompassing.

I might as well move this to the English forum, actually... 

Jana


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## Kajjo

Hi Cyanista, 
for me it's difficult to say, because the German "Lebensphilosophie" (literal translation: "philosophy of life") ist a much more restricted concept dealing with your wishes, desires and what you want to achieve in your life, while Weltanschauung is the significantly broader concept. Also, from my German understanding, philosophy has a kind of scholarly, rational point of view, distanced from emotions and unfounded believings.

Kajjo


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## cyanista

Jana337 said:
			
		

> I might as well move this to the English forum, actually...


Good idea.  Why don't you duplicate the thread so that it receives twice as much attention?


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## Jana337

cyanista said:
			
		

> Good idea.  Why don't you duplicate the thread so that it receives twice as much attention?


I will leave a redirect so that German forer@s are aware of the thread and can chime in. 

So, English natives, it is your turn to explain to us how you can live without a word for Weltanschauung. 

Jana


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## Brioche

_Weltanschauung_ is analogous to _religious convictions_,
but for a person who is not theistic.


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## A90Six

Jana337 said:
			
		

> I will leave a redirect so that German forer@s are aware of the thread and can chime in.
> 
> So, English natives, it is your turn to explain to us how you can live without a word for Weltanschauung.
> 
> Jana


Believe me, it's not easy. Describing Weltanschauung using a whole sentence has sometimes had me in tears.


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## dekdek

Emm well I hope I'm not spamming again, but I found these translations:
1)Ideology
2)Credo
3)Creed

Might suit


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## flame

"Weltanschauung" means a complete view for me, so "world" would be too limiting for me.

What about "view about everything"
Can we borrow from poets (... about it all ...)


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## danielfranco

Might as well say what came to my mind first... Paradigm
I know, I know... But it is the closest thing that, in my humble opinion, expresses a little bit of the idea of Weltanschauung. The Dominant Paradigm...
Ah, well, a shot in the dark...


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## flame

danielfranco said:
			
		

> Might as well say what came to my mind first... Paradigm
> I know, I know... But it is the closest thing that, in my humble opinion, expresses a little bit of the idea of Weltanschauung. The Dominant Paradigm...
> Ah, well, a shot in the dark...


I know "paradigm" from Fritjof Capra (Wendezeit). I had the impression he uses it in a rather technical sense allthough he talks about the paradigmatic change from a deterministic/mechanistic view towards a "ganzheitliche"   oecological view.


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## ireney

Greek uses the word Kosmotheoria (κοσμοθεωρία) which means cosmos + theory  (duh!)

Or in other words Theory about the universe so to speak. By this word (which for me is MUCH easier to pronounce naturally) we mean what one believes about everything. Sort of world-view  only a bit 'wider' so to speak.

So I guess any English equivalent with the word theory in it (like theory about life?) would work. Theory, as far as I know, in both languages, has a wider meaning than either 'philosophy' or 'view'.


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## Fernando

In Spanish it is translated as either:

- Ideología (ideology)

or

- Cosmovisión (cosmos view).


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## cuchuflete

It is commonly described as world view in English, and if
one's notion of "world" is as broad as the cosmos, that works.
I hadn't known of cosmovisión before, but it seems like a good attempt at a translation.


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## Kajjo

Brioche said:
			
		

> _Weltanschauung_ is analogous to _religious convictions_,
> but for a person who is not theistic.



No, _Weltanschauung_ conveys a much broader concept than _Religiöse Überzeugung_ (religious convictions). Further, the term is applicable to both religious and atheistic/agnostic people.

Kajjo


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## Pilarcita

Sometimes words like that one are not translated. They remain in its original language because they mean more than one single thing. And when you come across this word it's likely that the context is a philosophical one.


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## se16teddy

dekdek said:
			
		

> 1)Ideology
> 2)Credo
> 3)Creed
> Might suit


 
I think that 'Weltanschauung' is wider than these.  Ideology is what you think about the world, but Weltanschauung is how you feel about it too.  Credo and creed refer to religious or quasi-religious convictions.


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## se16teddy

rustymason said:
			
		

> Does "world view" capture the German meaning?


 
Why say 'world view' when you can blind people with science by saying 'Weltanschauung'?


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## timpeac

I think that we have seen there is no ready synonym in English, just the original (but in English obscure) German.

I am therefore winging this thread back to German English for you all to decide if the German term is best translated into English by keeping the word or by periphrasis.


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## Fernando

At least in Ian kershaw's biography of Hitler, who used (and abused) the term, he maintained Weltanschauung in German. I read it in the Spanish translation where W. was also maintained. I still think that the "loss in translation" for "world view" is scarce.


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## Qbang

Well here's my go at it...could it be along the lines of, "a subjective point of view?"


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## Robocop

You have taken up a rather old thread...
I would go for "*conception of the world*".


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## Katejo

Perhaps an overall perception of the world? But I have given up in English and just use the German word.

Katejo


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## Sidjanga

> Perhaps an overall perception of the world?


Yes, that comes quite close.

I would describe it as the totality of each and every one of your viewpoints taken together and at the same time the common (and very 'profound') denominator of your general attitudes and ways of seeing things that underlies your personality and, thus, your acting in the world.

I very much like Robocop's suggestion:* conception *_of the world_; but _*perception*_ is also very good; or somewhere in-between.


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