Subjectivity-Objectivity
Saturday September 4 2004 09:11
By Karmayogi
Subjectivity is to
understand the world from our point of view. Detaching ourselves from our own
understanding, looking at things as they are, is objectivity.
These lofty concepts in philosophy are termed in daily conversation as
narrow-minded and broadminded outlooks. In slang, one is called foolish and the
other is called clear-headed. An extreme example in life that has become
proverbial for subjectivity is one seeing the world through coloured glasses.
An ayurvedic doctor found by experience that his patients would not take the
full course of medicines. Ayurvedic medicines are usually bitter. The patient
wants the disease to go, but does not want to swallow a bitter pill.
After taking the bitter pill once, the patient feels he has tortured himself. Most
patients take two or three doses out of ten, but FEEL concretely that they have
taken all the ten pills. The disease partially persists. This doctor was over
60 years of age. As soon as he comes, he will ask someone in the house for the
unused packets of medicine.
In one case, the young patient vehemently complained to the doctor that he was
not cured, in spite of his taking all the doses of that horrible medicine. The
doctor showed him the seven unconsumed packets which spoke for themselves. This
is the extent of subjectivity one is capable of.
The earth is flat for our perception. It is often cited as an example of human
subjective perception. The sun going around the earth is a classical example of
ocular evidence disproved by scientific objective calculation. It may be
possible or easy to be objective with material objects, not so easy when we
study our feelings, emotions and attitudes.
Youth accepting a new philosophy or religion and embracing it will find that
creed is the ultimate TRUTH in the world. It is mental subjectivity. During the
days of monarchy, the majority of the population would not bring themselves to
think that the king could do any wrong. Some of them would go to the length of
saying that by virtue of the king having done a certain thing, it is right.
Modern scholarship has developed objectivity to perfection with respect to
FACTS. To a scholar it is an article of faith to present the fact truly. He
cannot bring himself to change the fact to suit his argument. Science gave the
world this attitude of objectivity. Even those scholars, when they come to
pronounce on persons, events, religions, etc., find it difficult to be
objective. Khrushchev once said that nations might be neutral, not individuals.
To maintain one’s objectivity with respect to other nations, races, religions,
and schools of thought is not so easy as with Facts. Centred in the Spirit, it
is possible. One major discovery of the Vedantic period is that Reason devoid
of sense impressions becomes objective and rises to Intuition.