A world of difference: why the term ‘earth’ is not the same as ‘world’

There is something that I’ve noticed recently in use of popular terminology which is actually something a lot of people would overlook as insignificant. For the most part, it is. It’s rather inconsequential for most day-to-day life. But if you ever happen to use the terms ‘world’ or ‘earth’ in conversation, then be aware that the two words – although seemingly the same in what they refer to – actually mean entirely different things.

It all hinges on what is physical and what isn’t. That is to say what is actually there in front of us (grass, dirt, mud, trees etc.) versus what is fabricated by us as a race (society, religion and culture). We can touch the ground; we know that it’s there. Can we touch ‘society’? No – not in the same way. We can think of and appreciate the notion of ‘society’, maybe even see it in action as we walk down the street. However, it isn’t a substantial ‘thing’.

This is, on a very basic level, what the difference between ‘earth’ and ‘world’ is. When we say ‘earth’, we’re talking about the bare rock or planet that happens to exist or ‘be’ here. When we talk about ‘world’, we’re actually meaning the ‘earth’ but with human ideologies and practices established within it. So, therefore, we’re living on an ‘earth’ in a ‘world’ which – paradoxically – has in turn given us the opportunity to explore this observation.

It doesn’t stop there though. The notion of ‘world’ can be separated from the ‘earth’ we know of. People are all too keen to create new worlds in science fiction and fantasy; each of these are fabrications of the human mind. The next time you say the term ‘world’, you might have images of Middle Earth bouncing around your head, yes, but it’s nonetheless interesting to know exactly what you’re referring to.

There are a lot of terms in language which are used flippantly without having much thought given to them. This is just one example – there are many others for certain. It does not really serve to show anything in particular, admittedly, yet it might well prove useful to know that there’s a ‘world’ of difference between ‘earth’ and ‘world’ at some point down the line...