A worldview is like a tree

A good metaphor for a worldview is a tree:

Leaves are conclusions.
Branches are premises.
The trunk are deeper premises.
Roots are foundational premises.

Conclusions are stuck to premises. Premises are stuck to deeper premises. Deeper premises grow out of foundational premises.

From a bird’s eye view, leaves, when dense, hide the branches, trunk, and roots of a tree. Conclusions can also hide premises and foundations. It’s important to see past the conclusions to see the premises and foundations.

Interestingly, the root word for both truth and tree is the same.

For a similar metaphor see: a worldview is like a house.

References

Cooke, G. (2013, December 17). The true story of ’true’—Gina Cooke—YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VYFE3tYUdJU

Patterson, S. (2016). Square One: The Foundations of Knowledge. CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform. https://www.amazon.com/Square-One-Foundations-Steve-Patterson-ebook/dp/B01M9JL27L/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_product_top?ie=UTF8