2.1: Subjects and Objects
- Page ID
- 306924
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\(\newcommand{\avec}{\mathbf a}\) \(\newcommand{\bvec}{\mathbf b}\) \(\newcommand{\cvec}{\mathbf c}\) \(\newcommand{\dvec}{\mathbf d}\) \(\newcommand{\dtil}{\widetilde{\mathbf d}}\) \(\newcommand{\evec}{\mathbf e}\) \(\newcommand{\fvec}{\mathbf f}\) \(\newcommand{\nvec}{\mathbf n}\) \(\newcommand{\pvec}{\mathbf p}\) \(\newcommand{\qvec}{\mathbf q}\) \(\newcommand{\svec}{\mathbf s}\) \(\newcommand{\tvec}{\mathbf t}\) \(\newcommand{\uvec}{\mathbf u}\) \(\newcommand{\vvec}{\mathbf v}\) \(\newcommand{\wvec}{\mathbf w}\) \(\newcommand{\xvec}{\mathbf x}\) \(\newcommand{\yvec}{\mathbf y}\) \(\newcommand{\zvec}{\mathbf z}\) \(\newcommand{\rvec}{\mathbf r}\) \(\newcommand{\mvec}{\mathbf m}\) \(\newcommand{\zerovec}{\mathbf 0}\) \(\newcommand{\onevec}{\mathbf 1}\) \(\newcommand{\real}{\mathbb R}\) \(\newcommand{\twovec}[2]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\ctwovec}[2]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\threevec}[3]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cthreevec}[3]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\fourvec}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cfourvec}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\fivevec}[5]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \\ #5 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cfivevec}[5]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \\ #5 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\mattwo}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{rr}#1 \amp #2 \\ #3 \amp #4 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\laspan}[1]{\text{Span}\{#1\}}\) \(\newcommand{\bcal}{\cal B}\) \(\newcommand{\ccal}{\cal C}\) \(\newcommand{\scal}{\cal S}\) \(\newcommand{\wcal}{\cal W}\) \(\newcommand{\ecal}{\cal E}\) \(\newcommand{\coords}[2]{\left\{#1\right\}_{#2}}\) \(\newcommand{\gray}[1]{\color{gray}{#1}}\) \(\newcommand{\lgray}[1]{\color{lightgray}{#1}}\) \(\newcommand{\rank}{\operatorname{rank}}\) \(\newcommand{\row}{\text{Row}}\) \(\newcommand{\col}{\text{Col}}\) \(\renewcommand{\row}{\text{Row}}\) \(\newcommand{\nul}{\text{Nul}}\) \(\newcommand{\var}{\text{Var}}\) \(\newcommand{\corr}{\text{corr}}\) \(\newcommand{\len}[1]{\left|#1\right|}\) \(\newcommand{\bbar}{\overline{\bvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\bhat}{\widehat{\bvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\bperp}{\bvec^\perp}\) \(\newcommand{\xhat}{\widehat{\xvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\vhat}{\widehat{\vvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\uhat}{\widehat{\uvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\what}{\widehat{\wvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\Sighat}{\widehat{\Sigma}}\) \(\newcommand{\lt}{<}\) \(\newcommand{\gt}{>}\) \(\newcommand{\amp}{&}\) \(\definecolor{fillinmathshade}{gray}{0.9}\)Let’s start with the modest metaphysical assumption that we all live on planet Earth. This means we have a shared reality. By a shared reality, I don’t mean anything like a shared world view. I’m afraid the word “reality” has been corrupted with talk about some people living in an “alternate reality” and such. Reality refers to what is real, what exists independent of our minds and world views. We may often have a very tenuous grasp on that shared reality, but the very ideas of inquiry, knowledge, rational belief, and so forth presuppose a basic distinction between appearance and reality.
Our shared reality is populated with various and sundry objects (or better, it contains stuff that can be divided in to objects in any number of ways). This is the realm of objects, or the objective world. As embodied creatures, we are among the objects populating our shared reality, the objective realm. But in addition to being objects we are also subjects.
As subjects we have some experience of the objective realm. But, our experience of the world is limited by our perspectives. Further our impressions and beliefs are liable to be distorted by biases and assorted other intellectual bad habits. So, one thing we can all recognize about being subjects is that our impressions, beliefs and opinions are fallible. We are limited and imperfect in ways that make error quite possible, even commonplace. That’s just life as a subject, having subjective impressions and beliefs means being prone to error.
Being subjects with subjective impressions and beliefs doesn’t mean we are doomed to error all the time. We are capable of imaginatively modeling things in the objective realm in ways that track how things are. It’s just that the evidence of our experience is limited and our imaginative capacities can distort our image of reality. Fortunately, we can always expand the basis of evidence we reason from by sharing our impressions and beliefs with each other. And we can improve the reliability of our reasoning by cultivating the intellectual habits that steer us towards clearer understanding and away from biased and distorted ways of thinking. This is the point of critical thinking. Philosophers typically use the word “subjective” to refer to whatever is mind dependent. In this sense of the word, all of your thoughts, feelings and beliefs exist in the subjective realm. But then your beliefs are often about the objective world. When I believe I have chocolate ice cream in the freezer, I’m representing a part of the objective world as being a certain way. So, my belief, while it exists in the subjective realm as a property of me, a subject, is about the objective realm, and it can accurately represent an aspect of the objective world. In this case my belief is true. Or my belief can fail to fit the way things are, say, if my son has finished the chocolate ice cream. In this case my belief is false.
So, your beliefs, are aspects of you, a subject, but they aim at representing things that are going on in our shared reality, the objective world. For your belief to be true is just for your representation of how things are in the objective realm to fit, or correspond with, what is actually going on in the objective realm. That is, your belief is true when it represents some aspect of reality the way it is. Otherwise, your belief is not true.
| Subjective realm includes whatever depends on your mind as a subject | Subjective realm includes whatever depends on your mind as a subject |
| All your thoughts, sense impressions, feelings, beliefs, fears and hopes are aspects of you as a subject. | The objective realm includes all the things, states of affairs and ways things are independent of you as a subject. |
As subjects, it is generally good for us to have true beliefs and avoid false beliefs. When we have true beliefs, we are more capable of acting effectively, achieving goals, avoiding hazards, and generally having a good time. I suppose this is a value statement, but not the sort of value statement anyone is likely to dispute. This much of 5 the value of having true beliefs comes along with being subjects who have needs and goals in a world full of objects (and subjects) that can be helpful or harmful to us. So, special cases aside, it’s good to have true beliefs.