ZachI don't think we can hold views to be subjective all the time.But they are
always subjective. You think one thing and another person thinks another. You cannot prove someone to be wrong that holds a different opinion. You can only demonstrate that everyone else thinks he/she is an ass. Each view is subjective. All opinions are subjective. If we were talking about the laws of physics we would move into the arena of the objective, but we're not.
All opinions are always subjective. Some subjective opinions precisely describe objective reality, but the opinion is still subjective. Some redhead women, in my opinion, are sexy as hell. Again...in
my opinion. It is a subjective opinion...not everyone agrees and they don't have to agree.
It is my opinion that a helium atom has two protons and two electrons. Is this subjective? It happens to be my subjective opinion, which fortunately correlates to the objective reality that a helium atom does indeed have two protons and two electrons. The structure of a helium atom is objective. My opinion of the structure of a helium atom is subjective. The goal of science and anyone that strives to be rational is to mitigate the gap between their subjective opinions of reality and the actual nature of objective reality. Scary thing is sometimes what we considered to be an objective aspect of reality can prove to not hold true in all situations.
There are things for which there is not an objective element.
Right and
wrong cannot be objective without there being something external to the individual that demonstrates them to be right or wrong. Two people on opposite sides of the planet will agree on the structure of a helium atom, but what about what constitutes a beautiful woman? ...what about whether or not it is ok to beat your children? ...what about what is simply right or wrong?
You and I don't want to live in a society where women undergo procedures such as the cliteroctomy, or in a society where humans are enslaved or sacrificed to Gods. So for us...these things are
wrong. When the
us is large enough we make the mistaken
assumption that we're looking at something that is blatantly obviously
objective.
If every single person on this planet believes that killing is wrong...it is
still a subjective opinion. Unless you can show me that killing is wrong
independent of ones opinions, then you cannot claim it is objective. A social group could always emerge one day claiming that killing is not only right, but it is great fun for the whole family. But then an alien race could land and screw up our theory too. You will never have a social group come forward and be able to argue successfully that 2 + 2 = Pacific Ocean. Or at least I hope not. This is my subjective opinion.
Notice that I am
not saying that, as a society, we should not make decisions about what constitutes
right and
wrong, and punish and reward accordingly. All social groups that wish to maximize group cohesion and harmony must come up with social mores and enforce laws and rules. But...these human concepts only exist out of necessity and, should our species suddenly vanish, so would
right and
wrong. Oh, other intelligent social animals would still retain their versions of right and wrong, but all human perceptions of right and wrong would suddenly be gone. The structure of a helium atom will not change one iota if all sentience ceased to exist.
The concepts of right and wrong are tools we use to get along with each other. If you were born on an island and had absolutely no contact with other humans
ever, nor contact with other animals...you would not even understand the concept of right or wrong. It would serve no purpose.
Chris "The man who does not read good books has no advantage over the man who cannot read them"
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at: 2/17/04 1:30 pm
