subjectivity
suhb-jek-TIV-uh-tee
/ˌsʌbdʒɛkˈtɪvəti/
The quality of being based on or influenced by personal feelings, tastes, or conscious experiences.
In existentialism, subjectivity is the core starting point: truth and experience are lived from the inside by an individual agent.
The story behind the word. From Latin subjectus ('thrown under'). In early philosophy, the 'subject' was the underlying entity experiencing thoughts. Subjectivity became the internal world of that conscious experiencing agent.
Word relationships
- individualism: Individualism is a political/social stance; subjectivity refers to the nature of conscious conscious perspective.
- objectivity: The state of being neutral, unbiased, and independent of personal consciousness.
Commonly confused with
- bias: Bias is unfair prejudice; subjectivity is the necessary perspective of an individual conscious mind.
Word family
- subjective (adjective): Based on personal perspective or feeling.
- subjectively (adverb): From a personal, conscious viewpoint.
Collocations
- embrace subjectivity
- human subjectivity
- pure subjectivity
- acknowledge subjectivity
Idioms & expressions
- through the lens of subjectivity
Example sentences
- "Kierkegaard famously asserted that subjectivity is truth, emphasizing personal conviction over cold logic." Epistemology
- "The reviewer acknowledged the inherent subjectivity of art appreciation." Art Criticism
Memory hook
SUBJECTIVITY is the SUBJECT's inner view. Inner view of the subject.
When not to use
Do not treat as a flaw in philosophical contexts; it is often treated as the fundamental condition of human consciousness.
Fun facts
- In medieval philosophy, 'subjective' meant existing in reality, almost the opposite of its modern meaning!
Related words
Explore more words
objectivity, subconscious, introspective, empirical, relativism, objective
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