Nice thread Nestor - good to have a reason to think a bit again
I believe, that we deal with our knowledge in an "objective
ish" way. It is very inconvenient in our everyday life to think we know nothing for sure. "Knowing" things - or to say it in other words - to have decided some knowledge - makes decisionmaking possible. If you "know" nothing, you will have no ability to make decisions - since, on which parameters should you base your decision - and on which parameters should you decide, what is a positive outcome, and what is a negative outcome?
The subject of objectivity is closely realted to the subject of reality. Here there are different concepts about reality:
Decartes said, that we can not be sure of anything but our own existence (poor man). "I think - therefor I am". We can not know, if we are awake or asleep. We can not know if there is a crocodile under our bed. We can not know anything. Now, while Decartes philosophical statement is quite solid in a philosophical discussion, it goes against common sence. It is my impression that most people will disagree with him. Most people will say, that if they see a cow and then turn around - the cow will still be there. Decartes said, that we can not know that. Common people will likely say he was a freak.
So on one hand we have Decartes saying, that we can not know anything ... there goes objectivity about anything but our own existance. Most people will say we can know some things. If you go to the dessert, dump 2 cows in the middle of nowhere, and 10 out of 10 people, stainding around the spot with the cows, says there are 2 cows, then they will all believe there are 2 cows. They have all observed the 2 cows, and they all agree on the count of cows, therefor they say, that it is an objective truth, that there are 2 cows. This kind of reality is much more traight forward to common people than the reality presented by Decartes. However you
can argue against their observation. They could have a group hallucination. Each person could be dreaming and thus making up the other people, who will see nothing more than himself - even though a third cow was hidden behind the other 2 cows. Decartes would always be able to come up with reasons, that we can not know
for sure. Therefor you may say, that the objectivity that the 10 people agreed on was in fact based on a decision to believe in their own visual perceptions. Boom - there goes objectivity.
Personally I have decided that one can be objective about some things. This belief is based on myself trusting my own sences. I have decided, that I probably will not be fooled by hallucinations, when I see a cow on the field. I have also decided that it is unlike enough, that space creatures will take away the cow when I turn around, for me to believe that the cow is also there, when I do not see it. Also, I do believe in math with numbers which are not endless. I agree on 2+2=4, and I have decided that this is objective (I have found no reason not to believe this). I will also to a great extend believe math with endless numbers, if enough numbers are used, and if I believe the uncertainty to be irelevant. But when to know if it really is irelevant? The Chaos Theory about the bug creating a storm suggests that it is difficult to know, when enough is enough. Still I don't care if I have to pay 325.45684568€ or 352.45684569€ in interests on a loan. Therefor the variation from exact reality doesn't bother me, and it is real enough for me. But I may be drifting of the off-topic about objectivity in this off-topic thread about judging others in this off-topic forum ... about soundcards
However, there are things in life, which can not be measured in numbers - and if they can the measurement tools will only be as objective, as we subjectively have decided them to be (for convinience). Even though some social scientist may say, that I am 1.3 happy, that is nothing but bull*hit. It may be usefull bull*hit though. The important word here is
may. Lets say I meet some stranger on the street and I say hello - if the stranger looks angry at me, what is the reason? Maybe he does not like me. Maybe he has had a bad day. Maybe he has a neurological ilness that makes him express other feelings than the ones he actually feels? Maybe he was walking in his own thoughts thinking about some person he does not like, and he was still partly in his own world - thus responding to the person in his mind and not to me. If a child falls into a harbor, and I jump in the water risking my life to save teh child - why do I do it? Do I feel that the life of the child is more important than my life - and if so, on what back-ground is that evaluation based? Am I actually just tirred from living and looking for a way to commit suicide in a way which may cause less pain to my relatives than if they really knew my intentions - as if I hung myself? Do I do it because of strong moral rules? Do I do it because I expect some award? People are mysteries. They have all sorts of reasons for their actions. They have all sorts of thoughts about the reasons for their actions. But they do also have all sorts of unconcious reasons for their actions. If a beggar asks me for money, I may not be aware of the fact, that I will be more likely to give if the sun is shining and I am happy. There are tons of reasons behind our actions, and I don't believe in the ability to truly know them all. This is my reality. If I was grown up in another culture with another religion and other philosophies and psychologies, I may have had more belief in human ability to really reach such levels of awareness.
Objectivity
Do I believe in it?
Yes, to some extend.
Do I use it?
Yes, far more than I actually believe in it.
Do I believe my objectivity to be better than others'?
In a lot of situations, yes. If I didn't, it would not be very usefull to me, and I would be drifting from on "reality" to another all the time.
If you give me a good reason, I may change my mind - but that will have to depend on a lot of other factors too - of which I am only consciously aware of a few.