Objectivity and Subjectivity

Objectivity (objective) – Objective means truth, the way the world really is. Certain things about the world are true always and all the time. - Objective Information is observable, able to be sensed, factual, able to be counted, described or copied, the same according to multiple reports or sources, as close to the truth as we can get, helpful in decision making.

Subjectivity (subjective) – This term means your point of view, the way that YOU see the truth and experience things in the world. - At times people are going to see and understand things differently from others because each person is different. - Subjective Information is opinion, judgment, assumption, belief, rumor, suspicion. It varies from person to person and day to day. It is not the truth and only a person's version of the truth. At times it can be misguided, completely false, and unhelpful in making decisions.

Morality and Objectivity in Decision Making

- Morality is rooted in objectivity. The Church teaches that God created us out of love in his image and likeness. We exist because God loves us, therefore our purpose since we are made in his image is to love others (objective). - Value in the world isn't created (think human dignity), rather it is something that we choose to appreciate or not. Something is or isn't morally valid simply because another person thinks it is ok, but rather what truly serves the well being and value of the other person. - Even if we can't be totally objective in morality, we can try be subjectively informed. This means that we can make thoughtful moral claims based on our conscience, observations and reason. - Uninformed subjective statements are claims based purely on opinion, assumption and judgment. They lack any real evidence or reasonable thought and can cause a person to make immoral choices.