Hard Problem of Objectivity

The myth of the view from nowhere. True objectivity would require a disembodied, ahistorical, bias-free perspective completely outside the system being observed. This is impossible for humans. Every observation is made by a situated observer with a body, a language, a culture, and a set of prior beliefs. The hard problem is that while we can approach objectivity through methods (blinding, controls, peer review), we can never fully attain it. The ideal of pure objectivity may be a necessary regulative ideal for science and ethics, but it is also a philosophical phantom.

Example: A journalist aims to report "objectively" on a political protest. But their choice of which quotes to feature, which images to show, and even the word "protest" (vs. "riot" or "demonstration") reflects a subjective framework. The hard problem: Striving for objectivity is crucial, but claiming to have achieved it is often a power move—a way of dismissing other perspectives as "subjective" or "biased." True objectivity might be the process of continually acknowledging and correcting for subjectivity, not its elimination. Hard Problem of Objectivity.

by Enkigal January 24, 2026

Law of Absolute and Relative Objectivity

The principle that objectivity operates in two modes: absolute objectivity (a perspective from nowhere, free of all bias and particularity) and relative objectivity (the best approximation of neutrality achievable within a given context). The law acknowledges that pure objectivity may be an ideal we can approach but never reach—like a horizon that recedes as we advance. Relative objectivity is what we actually achieve: perspectives that are as free as possible from obvious bias, while still being situated in a particular time, place, and culture. The law of absolute and relative objectivity reconciles the aspiration to neutrality with the reality of situatedness.

Law of Absolute and Relative Objectivity Example: "He claimed his news source was 'completely objective.' She invoked the law of absolute and relative objectivity: absolute objectivity is impossible (no view from nowhere), but relative objectivity is achievable (minimizing bias, disclosing perspective). His source had relative objectivity at best; his claim to absolute was the problem. He kept watching anyway, which is what people do."

by Abzugal February 16, 2026

I Think... Objectively

I think implies that what you're saying is a subjective statement.

Hym " 'I think... objectively' makes that sentence an oxymoron Charlie. It's not a thought for me, Charlie. I am."

by Hym Iam June 10, 2025