Difference between revisions of "Info: Project Vision" - New World Encyclopedia

Revision as of 19:35, 6 June 2008

The New World Encyclopedia (NWE) is designed to organize human knowledge so the reader will learn information not just for its own sake, but for its value to the reader and the world as a whole. It is designed to provide the context and values of our social and organizational relationships, and our relationship with nature and the environment.

The underlying goal of the encyclopedia is to promote knowledge that leads to human happiness, well-being, world peace. It is a useful tool for everyone, and an ideal resource for student research.

Today, computer and internet encyclopedias largely have replaced print encyclopedias. Wikipedia has stunned the world, charting new horizons in the organization and presentation of knowledge, participating as it does as a leading force in the open source revolution. It has shaken assumptions regarding knowledge and scholarship to their roots. Its reliability has been challenged because of its policy to let anyone contribute to it, but it has stood up remarkably to tests and comparisons to conventional compendia such as the Encyclopedia Britannica. It should be noted that the Encyclopedia Britannica has adapted impressively with its own electronic version during these challenging times of transition.

New World Encyclopedia is a wiki-based encyclopedia which contains carefully selected articles that are rewritten and supervised by a team of editors with academic and literary qualifications. New World Encyclopedia will have the same ease of use as Wikipedia, but will differ based on an editorial policy that includes a more rigorous article selection process, editorial review process, and its wholesome values orientation.

History of encyclopedias

Each effort to establish a system of knowledge proceeds from a "worldview," a philosophical, perhaps metaphysical, foundation that informs decisions regarding acquisition, organization, and presentation of knowledge. Diderot and the encyclopaedists (in the 18th Century) established the first encyclopedias from the philosophical perspective of the Enlightenment. More recently (after 1911) a certain scientism influenced encyclopedias, resulting in the current tendency to attempt value-neutral presentations of facts and information.

Our Approach and Worldview

This project transcends the metaphysical assumptions of both the Enlightenment and Modern Encyclopedias.

The originator of this project is Sun Myung Moon. NWE editors are guided by scholarly texts expressing the theological and philosophical systematization of his life and teachings, the universal values and ideals inherent in the great religions, philosophies, and teachings of conscience, and the core principles of the Universal Peace Federations (link).

Contributing to a better world

This encyclopedia project aims to organize and present human knowledge in ways consistent with our natural purposes. Information and knowledge is intended to support the realization of a peaceful, healthy, and fulfilled life for all people.

See: Video Interview of Dr. Gordon L. Anderson about the New World Encyclopedia on UpTV.

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+The ''New World Encyclopedia'' (NWE) is designed to organize human knowledge so the reader will learn information not just for its own sake, but for its value to the reader and the world as a whole. It is designed to provide the context and values of our social and organizational relationships, and our relationship with nature and the environment.
+The underlying goal of the encyclopedia is to promote knowledge that leads to human happiness, well-being, world peace. It is a useful tool for everyone, and an ideal resource for student research.
+Today, computer and internet encyclopedias largely have replaced print encyclopedias. ''Wikipedia'' has stunned the world, charting new horizons in the organization and presentation of knowledge, participating as it does as a leading force in the open source revolution. It has shaken assumptions regarding knowledge and scholarship to their roots. Its reliability has been challenged because of its policy to let anyone contribute to it, but it has stood up remarkably to tests and comparisons to conventional compendia such as the ''Encyclopedia Britannica.'' It should be noted that the'' Encyclopedia Britannica'' has adapted impressively with its own electronic version during these challenging times of transition.
+''New World Encyclopedia'' is a wiki-based encyclopedia which contains carefully selected articles that are rewritten and supervised by a team of editors with academic and literary qualifications. ''New World Encyclopedia'' will have the same ease of use as ''Wikipedia,'' but will differ based on an editorial policy that includes a more rigorous article selection process, editorial review process, and its wholesome values orientation.
 ===History of encyclopedias===
-Each effort to establish a system of knowledge proceeds from a "worldview," a philosophical, perhaps metaphysical, foundation that informs decisions regarding acquisition, organization, and presentation of knowledge. Diderot and the encyclopaedists (in the 18th Century) established the first encyclopedias from the philosophical perspective of the Enlightenment. More recently (after 1911) a certain scientism* influenced encyclopedias, resulting in the current tendency to attempt value-neutral presentations of facts and information.
+Each effort to establish a system of knowledge proceeds from a "worldview," a philosophical, perhaps metaphysical, foundation that informs decisions regarding acquisition, organization, and presentation of knowledge. Diderot and the encyclopaedists (in the 18th Century) established the first encyclopedias from the philosophical perspective of the Enlightenment. More recently (after 1911) a certain scientism influenced encyclopedias, resulting in the current tendency to attempt value-neutral presentations of facts and information.
 ===Our Approach and Worldview===
 This project transcends the metaphysical assumptions of both the Enlightenment and Modern Encyclopedias.
-The originator of this project is Sun Myung Moon.  The  philosophical and axiological foundations for the project derive from his life and teachings, especially as they are systematized in ''Unification Thought'' and other publicly available texts.
+The originator of this project is Sun Myung Moon. NWE editors are guided by scholarly texts expressing the theological and philosophical systematization of his life and teachings, the universal values and ideals inherent in the great religions, philosophies, and teachings of conscience, and the core principles of the Universal Peace Federations (link).
-The worldview that informs this encyclopedia proceeds on the basis of universal values found in the life and teaching of Reverend Moon and in essence from all religious and spiritual traditions and in people of conscience, values drawn from original human purpose, and the purpose of creation.
+===Contributing to a better world===
-===Contributing to a better world===
+This encyclopedia project aims to organize and present human knowledge in ways consistent with our natural purposes. Information and knowledge is intended to support the realization of a peaceful, healthy, and fulfilled life for all people.
-This encyclopedia project aims to organize and present human knowledge in ways consistent with our original purpose.  Information and knowledge is intended to support the realization of a peaceful, healthy life for all people.
-<nowiki>*</nowiki>Scientism:
-*The collection of attitudes and practices considered typical of scientists.
-*The belief that the investigative methods of the physical sciences are applicable or justifiable in all fields of inquiry.
-*The elevation of the scientific method to dogma or metaphysical ultimacy, to the end that other methods of obtaining truth are not considered valid.
 ''See:'' [http://www.uptv.org/play.php?168 Video Interview] of Dr. Gordon L. Anderson about the New World Encyclopedia on UpTV.
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