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Subjectivity in a philosophical context has to do with a lack of objective reality. Subjectivity has been given various and ambiguous definitions by differing sources as it is not often the focal point of philosophical discourse.Bykova, Marina F. (February 2018). "On the Problem of Subjectivity: Editor's Introduction". ''Russian Studies in Philosophy''. 56: 1-5 - via EBSCOhost. However, it is related to ideas of
consciousness Consciousness, at its simplest, is sentience and awareness of internal and external existence. However, the lack of definitions has led to millennia of analyses, explanations and debates by philosophers, theologians, linguisticians, and scien ...
,
agency Agency may refer to: Organizations * Institution, governmental or others ** Advertising agency or marketing agency, a service business dedicated to creating, planning and handling advertising for its clients ** Employment agency, a business that ...
, personhood,
philosophy of mind Philosophy of mind is a branch of philosophy that studies the ontology and nature of the mind and its relationship with the body. The mind–body problem is a paradigmatic issue in philosophy of mind, although a number of other issues are add ...
,
reality Reality is the sum or aggregate of all that is real or existent within a system, as opposed to that which is only imaginary. The term is also used to refer to the ontological status of things, indicating their existence. In physical terms, re ...
, and
truth Truth is the property of being in accord with fact or reality.Merriam-Webster's Online Dictionarytruth 2005 In everyday language, truth is typically ascribed to things that aim to represent reality or otherwise correspond to it, such as belief ...
. Three common definitions include that subjectivity is the quality or condition of: * Something being a '' subject'', narrowly meaning an individual who possesses conscious experiences, such as perspectives, feelings, beliefs, and desires. Solomon, Robert C. "Subjectivity," in Honderich, Ted. '' Oxford Companion to Philosophy (Oxford University Press, 2005), p.900. * Something being a ''subject'', broadly meaning an entity that has
agency Agency may refer to: Organizations * Institution, governmental or others ** Advertising agency or marketing agency, a service business dedicated to creating, planning and handling advertising for its clients ** Employment agency, a business that ...
, meaning that it acts upon or wields power over some other entity (an ''
object Object may refer to: General meanings * Object (philosophy), a thing, being, or concept ** Object (abstract), an object which does not exist at any particular time or place ** Physical object, an identifiable collection of matter * Goal, an ...
''). * Some information, idea, situation, or physical thing considered true only from the perspective of a subject or subjects. The varying definitions of subjectivity are often used together and interchangeably. The term is most commonly used as an explanation for that which influences, informs, and biases people's judgments about truth or reality; it is the collection of the perceptions, experiences, expectations, and personal or cultural understanding of, and beliefs about, an external
phenomenon A phenomenon ( : phenomena) is an observable event. The term came into its modern philosophical usage through Immanuel Kant, who contrasted it with the noumenon, which ''cannot'' be directly observed. Kant was heavily influenced by Gottfrie ...
, that are specific to a subject. Subjectivity is contrasted to the philosophy of
objectivity Objectivity can refer to: * Objectivity (philosophy), the property of being independent from perception ** Objectivity (science), the goal of eliminating personal biases in the practice of science ** Journalistic objectivity, encompassing fai ...
, which is described as a view of truth or reality that is free of any individual's biases, interpretations, feelings, and imaginings. Subjectivity and objectivity are usually seen as two directly opposing views; therefore, an understanding of one usually influences that of the other.


Philosophy


Thinkers

In Western philosophy, the idea of subjectivity is thought to have its roots in the works of Descartes and Kant though it could also come from
Aristotle Aristotle (; grc-gre, Ἀριστοτέλης ''Aristotélēs'', ; 384–322 BC) was a Greek philosopher and polymath during the Classical period in Ancient Greece. Taught by Plato, he was the founder of the Peripatetic school of ...
's work relating to the soul. The idea of subjectivity is often seen as a peripheral to other philosophical concepts, namely skepticism,
individual An individual is that which exists as a distinct entity. Individuality (or self-hood) is the state or quality of being an individual; particularly (in the case of humans) of being a person unique from other people and possessing one's own need ...
s and individuality, and
existentialism Existentialism ( ) is a form of philosophical inquiry that explores the problem of human existence and centers on human thinking, feeling, and acting. Existentialist thinkers frequently explore issues related to the meaning, purpose, and val ...
. The questions surrounding subjectivity have to do with whether or not people can escape the subjectivity of their own human existence and whether or not there is an obligation to try to do so. Important thinkers who focused on this area of study include Descartes, Locke, Kant,
Hegel Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel (; ; 27 August 1770 – 14 November 1831) was a German philosopher. He is one of the most important figures in German idealism and one of the founding figures of modern Western philosophy. His influence extends a ...
, Kierkegaard, Husserl, Foucault, Derrida, Nagel, and Sartre.Solomon, Robert C. "Subjective Truth," in Honderich, Ted. ''Oxford Companion to Philosophy (Oxford University Press, 2005), p. 900'' Subjectivity was rejected by Foucault and Derrida in favor of constructionism, but Sartre embraced and continued Descartes' work in the subject by emphasizing subjectivity in
phenomenology Phenomenology may refer to: Art * Phenomenology (architecture), based on the experience of building materials and their sensory properties Philosophy * Phenomenology (philosophy), a branch of philosophy which studies subjective experiences and a ...
.Thomas, Baldwin. "Sartre, Jean-Paul," in Honderich, Ted. ''Oxford Companion to Philosophy (Oxford University Press, 2005). pp. 834-837'' Sartre believed that, even within the material force of human society, the ego was an essentially transcendent being—posited, for instance, in his opus '' Being and Nothingness'' through his arguments about the 'being-for-others' and the 'for-itself' (i.e., an objective and subjective human being). The innermost core of ''subjectivity'' resides in a unique act of what Fichte called “ self-positing”, where each subject is a point of absolute
autonomy In developmental psychology and moral, political, and bioethical philosophy, autonomy, from , ''autonomos'', from αὐτο- ''auto-'' "self" and νόμος ''nomos'', "law", hence when combined understood to mean "one who gives oneself one' ...
, which means that it cannot be reduced to a moment in the network of
causes Causes, or causality, is the relationship between one event and another. It may also refer to: * Causes (band), an indie band based in the Netherlands * Causes (company) Causes.com is a civic-technology app and website that enables users to orga ...
and effects.


Subjectivity applied

One way that subjectivity has been conceptualized by philosophers such as Kierkegaard is in the context of
religion Religion is usually defined as a social- cultural system of designated behaviors and practices, morals, beliefs, worldviews, texts, sanctified places, prophecies, ethics, or organizations, that generally relates humanity to supernatur ...
. Religious beliefs can vary quite extremely from person to person, but people often think that whatever they believe is the truth. Subjectivity as seen by Descartes and Sartre was a matter of what was dependent on consciousness, so, because religious beliefs require the presence of a consciousness that can believe, they must be subjective. This is in contrast to what has been proven by science, which does not depend on the perception of people, and is therefore considered objective. Subjectivity is what relies on personal perception regardless of what is proven or objective. Many philosophical arguments within this area of study have to do with moving from subjective thoughts to objective thoughts with many different methods employed to get from one to the other along with a variety of conclusions reached. This is exemplified by Descartes deductions that move from reliance on subjectivity to somewhat of a reliance on God for objectivity. Foucault and Derrida denied the idea of subjectivity in favor of their ideas of constructs in order to account for differences in human thought. Instead of focusing on the idea of consciousness and self-consciousness shaping the way humans perceive the world, these thinkers would argue that it is instead the world that shapes humans, so they would see religion less as a belief and more as a cultural construction. Others like Husserl and Sartre followed the phenomenological approach. This approach focused on the distinct separation of the human mind and the physical world, where the mind is subjective because it can take liberties like imagination and self-awareness where religion might be examined regardless of any kind of subjectivity. The philosophical conversation around subjectivity remains one that struggles with the epistemological question of what is real, what is made up, and what it would mean to be separated completely from subjectivity.


Sociology

Subjectivity is an inherently social mode that comes about through innumerable interactions within society. As much as subjectivity is a process of individuation, it is equally a process of socialization, the individual never being isolated in a self-contained environment, but endlessly engaging in interaction with the surrounding world. Culture is a living totality of the subjectivity of any given society constantly undergoing transformation. Subjectivity is both shaped by it and shapes it in turn, but also by other things like the economy, political institutions, communities, as well as the natural world. Though the boundaries of societies and their cultures are indefinable and arbitrary, the subjectivity inherent in each one is palatable and can be recognized as distinct from others. Subjectivity is in part a particular experience or organization of
reality Reality is the sum or aggregate of all that is real or existent within a system, as opposed to that which is only imaginary. The term is also used to refer to the ontological status of things, indicating their existence. In physical terms, re ...
, which includes how one views and interacts with humanity, objects, consciousness, and nature, so the difference between different cultures brings about an alternate experience of existence that forms life in a different manner. A common effect on an individual of this disjunction between subjectivities is culture shock, where the subjectivity of the other culture is considered alien and possibly incomprehensible or even hostile. Political subjectivity is an emerging concept in social sciences and humanities. Political subjectivity is a reference to the deep embeddedness of subjectivity in the socially intertwined systems of power and meaning. "Politicality," write
Sadeq Rahimi
in
Meaning, Madness and Political Subjectivity
', "is not an added aspect of the subject, but indeed the mode of being of the subject, that is, precisely what the subject ''is''."


See also

*
Dogma Dogma is a belief or set of beliefs that is accepted by the members of a group without being questioned or doubted. It may be in the form of an official system of principles or doctrines of a religion, such as Roman Catholicism, Judaism, Islam ...
* Intersubjectivity *
Phenomenology (philosophy) Phenomenology (from Greek φαινόμενον, ''phainómenon'' "that which appears" and λόγος, ''lógos'' "study") is the philosophical study of the structures of experience and consciousness. As a philosophical movement it was foun ...
*
Phenomenology (psychology) Phenomenology within psychology, or phenomenological psychology, is the psychological study of subjective experience. It is an approach to psychological subject matter that attempts to explain experiences from the point of view of the subject via ...
* Political subjectivity * Q methodology * Relativism * Subject (philosophy) * Transcendental subjectivity * " Subjectivity is Truth", an existential interpretation of subjectivity by
Søren Kierkegaard Søren Aabye Kierkegaard ( , , ; 5 May 1813 – 11 November 1855) was a Danish theologian, philosopher, poet, social critic, and religious author who is widely considered to be the first existentialist philosopher. He wrote critical texts on ...
*
Self The self is an individual as the object of that individual’s own reflective consciousness. Since the ''self'' is a reference by a subject to the same subject, this reference is necessarily subjective. The sense of having a self—or ''selfhoo ...


References


Further reading

* Beiser, Frederick C. (2002). ''German Idealism: The Struggle Against Subjectivism, 1781–1801''. Harvard University Press. * Block, Ned; Flanagan, Owen J.; & Gzeldere, Gven (Eds.) ''The Nature of Consciousness: Philosophical Debates''. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press. * Bowie, Andrew (1990). ''Aesthetics and Subjectivity : From Kant to Nietzsche''. Manchester: Manchester University Press. * Dallmayr, Winfried Reinhard (1981). ''Twilight of Subjectivity: Contributions to a Post-Individualist Theory Politics''. Amherst, MA:
University of Massachusetts Press The University of Massachusetts Press is a university press that is part of the University of Massachusetts Amherst The University of Massachusetts Amherst (UMass Amherst, UMass) is a public research university in Amherst, Massachusetts a ...
. * Ellis, C. & Flaherty, M. (1992). ''Investigating Subjectivity: Research on Lived Experience''. Newbury Park, CA: Sage. * Farrell, Frank B. (1994). ''Subjectivity, Realism, and Postmodernism: The Recovery of the World in Recent Philosophy''. Cambridge - New York: Cambridge University Press. *Gaukroger, Stephen. (2012). ''Objectivity''. Oxford University Press. * * Lauer, Quentin (1958). ''The Triumph of Subjectivity: An Introduction to Transcendental Phenomenology''. Fordham University Press.


External links

{{Consciousness, state=collapsed Concepts in metaphilosophy Concepts in metaphysics Concepts in the philosophy of mind Concepts in the philosophy of science Metaphysical theories Metaphysics of mind Ontology Philosophy of psychology Political philosophy Sociological theories Subjective experience