Evidence Perspectivism

A philosophical framework holding that evidence is always from a perspective—that what we take as evidence depends on the theoretical frameworks, methodological commitments, and standpoints from which we approach the world. Evidence perspectivism rejects the idea of perspective-free evidence. What counts as evidence for a biologist differs from what counts for an economist; what counts as evidence from a patient's perspective differs from what counts from a clinician's. Perspectivism doesn't make evidence subjective; it recognizes that each perspective reveals genuine aspects of reality, and that no perspective exhausts the whole. It demands that we be explicit about the perspectives from which evidence is gathered and interpreted.

Example: "His evidence perspectivism meant he recognized that the evidence from randomized trials and the evidence from patient testimony were both real—each from a different perspective, each revealing something the other missed."

Evidence Perspectivism by Abzugal March 22, 2026