Objective vs Subjective (Philosophical Distinction)

Summary

In this video, the presenter explores the philosophical dichotomy between objective and subjective realities. Using the classic 'tree falling in the forest' thought experiment, the discussion delves into whether a sound is produced if no one is present to hear it. Objective facts exist independently of perception, while subjective experiences are shaped by individual observers. The video prompts viewers to consider which properties are objective and which are subjective, challenging them to question the nature of truth, beauty, and reality.

Takeaways

• 📚 The video discusses the philosophical distinction between objective and subjective realities.
• 🌳 The classic philosophical question 'If a tree falls in the forest and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound?' is introduced to illustrate the objective vs. subjective debate.
• 🔍 'Objective' refers to things that exist independently of our perception, while 'subjective' pertains to perceptions or opinions formed by observers.
• 🧠 The concept of a 'subject' is usually a person or an entity capable of observation and forming opinions.
• 🌍 Something is considered objective if it exists without the need for observation or perception by a subject.
• 👂 If one believes that sound is objective, they think a tree falling in the woods makes a sound even if no one hears it.
• 🤔 The idea of sound being subjective suggests that it only exists if perceived by a subject, thus if unobserved, the tree's fall would be silent.
• 🌐 Some philosophers argue that the very concept of a tree or sound is a human construct, implying a high degree of subjectivity.
• 🤷‍♂️ The video invites viewers to consider what properties are truly objective and which are subjective, a question that spans various philosophical domains.
• 💭 It challenges the audience to contemplate whether facts about the world, such as beauty or truth, are objective or subjective.

Q & A

What is the main difference between objective and subjective?

Objective refers to something that exists independently of our perception, while subjective depends on a subject's perception or opinion for its existence or properties.

What is the philosophical question used to illustrate the objective versus subjective distinction?

The question 'If a tree falls in the forest, and there is no one around to hear it, does it make a sound?' is used to illustrate the distinction between objective and subjective.

What does it mean for something to be objective?

For something to be objective means it exists or has properties regardless of any subject's opinion about it, without the need for observation or perception.

How is the concept of 'sound' related to the objective/subjective debate?

The concept of 'sound' is related to the debate as it raises the question of whether sound is an objective reality or a subjective perception that requires a listener to exist.

What is the role of a subject in the context of the objective/subjective discussion?

In the context of the objective/subjective discussion, a subject is typically a person or an observer whose perception or opinion influences the subjective properties of an object.

Can objective facts change based on who perceives them?

No, objective facts cannot change based on who perceives them because they exist independently of perception.

What is an example of an objective fact mentioned in the script?

An example of an objective fact is 'There is a chair,' which exists regardless of what people think about it.

What does the script suggest about the nature of truth in relation to objectivity?

The script implies that truth might be considered either objective or subjective, depending on whether it is seen as independent of perception or tied to a subject's experience.

How does the script approach the idea of beauty in terms of objectivity?

The script poses the question of whether beauty is objective or subjective, suggesting that it might be dependent on an observer's perception.

What is the invitation from the script for viewers to do?

The script invites viewers to offer their thoughts on what properties are objective and what properties are subjective in the comments section.

What is the final call to action from the script?

The final call to action is to watch more videos on the topic at carnegiestuff.org and to stay skeptical.

Outlines

00:00

📚 Objective vs. Subjective: Philosophical Distinctions

This paragraph introduces the philosophical concepts of objectivity and subjectivity. It begins with a classic philosophical question about a tree falling in a forest with no one to hear it, asking whether it makes a sound. The paragraph explains that objective facts exist independently of perception or opinion, while subjective facts depend on an observer's perception or opinion. It uses the example of a tree falling to illustrate the difference between objective reality (the tree falling regardless of observation) and subjective experience (the sound only existing if perceived by a subject). The paragraph invites viewers to consider what properties they believe are objective or subjective and encourages further exploration of these concepts.

05:02

🤔 Philosophical Questions on Objectivity and Subjectivity

The second paragraph continues the discussion on objectivity and subjectivity, asking viewers to ponder whether facts about goodness, truth, and beauty are objective or subjective. It emphasizes the importance of these philosophical questions and encourages viewers to share their thoughts in the comments. The paragraph concludes by directing viewers to watch more videos on the topic and to maintain a skeptical mindset, suggesting that these questions are open to interpretation and debate.

Keywords

💡Objective

In the context of the video, 'objective' refers to something that exists independently of our perception or opinions. It is a concept in philosophy that denotes metaphysical reality. For example, the video uses the phrase 'objective facts about the world' to illustrate that things like the existence of a chair are objective because they exist regardless of what anyone thinks about them. This concept is crucial for understanding the philosophical debate about whether a tree falling in the forest makes a sound if no one is around to hear it.

💡Subjective

The term 'subjective' is used to describe things that are dependent on an observer's perception or opinion. It is contrasted with 'objective' in the video to highlight that subjective experiences or properties are those that are shaped by an individual's thoughts or feelings. The video poses the question of whether the sound a tree makes when it falls is subjective, suggesting that if no one is there to hear it, it might not 'make a sound' in a subjective sense.

💡Philosophy

Philosophy is the study of general and fundamental questions about existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language. The video script is part of a series that explores philosophical concepts, aiming to clarify jargon and provide a better understanding of philosophical ideas. The script uses philosophy as a backdrop for discussing the objective versus subjective debate.

💡Metaphysical

Metaphysical refers to the branch of philosophy that examines the fundamental nature of reality. The video mentions that an 'object' is something that is 'metaphysically real and existing independent of our perception,' which is a way of discussing the nature of reality beyond what we can perceive or understand.

💡Perception

Perception in the video is discussed in relation to how we interpret and understand the world around us. It is tied to the concept of subjectivity, as our perceptions can shape our understanding of reality. The video uses the example of a tree falling in the forest to question whether the perception of a sound is dependent on someone being present to hear it.

💡Observer

The concept of an 'observer' is central to the discussion of objectivity and subjectivity. The video script explores the idea that objective facts exist regardless of whether they are observed, while subjective experiences are dependent on an observer's presence. The observer is the entity that perceives or experiences something, and the video uses this term to differentiate between what is real and what is perceived.

💡Opinions

Opinions are individual beliefs or thoughts that can be influenced by personal feelings or biases. The video contrasts objective facts with subjective opinions, suggesting that while facts remain constant, opinions can vary. It uses the example of the tree falling in the forest to illustrate how opinions might differ on whether a sound is made if no one is there to perceive it.

💡Property

In the philosophical context of the video, a 'property' refers to a characteristic or quality of something. The script discusses whether properties like sound are objective or subjective. If a property is objective, it exists independently of anyone's opinion about it, whereas a subjective property depends on an individual's perception or opinion.

💡Fact

A 'fact' is presented in the video as something that is true and can be proven; it is often used to describe objective reality. The video script questions whether certain facts, like the existence of a chair or the sound a tree makes when it falls, are objective and exist independently of perception, or if they are subjective and dependent on an observer.

💡Distinguish

The video aims to distinguish between objective and subjective concepts. To 'distinguish' means to recognize or treat someone or something as different. The script uses this term in the context of differentiating the philosophical concepts of objectivity and subjectivity, which is essential for understanding the nature of reality and perception.

💡Skeptical

The video encourages viewers to maintain a 'skeptical' attitude, which means questioning assumptions and seeking evidence. Being skeptical is a philosophical approach to understanding the world, and the video uses this term to encourage critical thinking about the concepts of objectivity and subjectivity.

Highlights

Introduction to the objective versus subjective distinction in philosophy.

The famous philosophical question: 'If a tree falls in the forest, and there is no one around to hear it, does it make a sound?'

Objective is defined as something existing independent of our perception.

Subjective is defined as something that depends on a subject for its existence or properties.

A property is objective if an object can have that property regardless of any subject's opinion.

If something making a sound is considered subjective, then it only exists if there is a subject to observe it.

Some argue that the concept of a tree or a sound is subjective and depends on our perception.

The idea that objective facts remain constant regardless of who perceives them.

The question of whether properties like sound are objective or subjective.

Discussion on the objectivity or subjectivity of facts about the world.

The role of perception in determining the objectivity or subjectivity of truths.

The distinction between objective facts about an object and subjective facts about an experience of that object.

Invitation for viewers to comment on what they think are objective and subjective properties.

The application of the objective/subjective distinction across various areas of philosophy.

The question of whether facts about good, truth, and beauty are objective or subjective.

Encouragement for viewers to watch more videos on the topic at carnegiede.org.

The importance of maintaining a skeptical viewpoint in philosophical discussions.

Transcripts

welcome back to Carnegie stuff today

we're going to be continuing with our

series dumbfounding definitions dizzying

distinctions and diabolical doctrines a

series sorting through some of the

jargon of philosophy in this video we

will be looking at objective versus

subjective compared to a lot of the

distinctions we handle this hopefully

will be a pretty simple and pretty

intuitive distinction the way that

philosophers parse this distinction is

not very different from the way that we

would intuitively or normally make this

distinction so hopefully this shouldn't

be too difficult so I have a question

for you if a tree falls in the forest

and there is no one around to hear it

does it make a sound I didn't hear

anything

well the idea behind this question is an

important concept in philosophy and it's

a very famous kind of question that you

may have heard of before you even heard

of what philosophy is I'm not going to

answer this question perfectly in this

video and there are other concerns other

than the objective subjective

distinction which come into play here

but the objective subjective distinction

can help us understand why this is a

question so first off let's look at the

word root so the words objective and

subjective are really derived from

object and subject and object is

something which is metaphysical real and

existing independent of our perception

of it that's the important part a

subject on the other hand is something

which observes usually a person or an

observer some kind something that can

form opinions there's a lot of question

of this around kind of philosophy of

mind which we're not going to delve into

right now but take basically a subject

as a person and maybe some other things

for now something is objective if it is

independent of our opinions on it it

exists without observation or a subject

perceiving it or thinking about it a

property is objective if a particular

object can have that property regardless

of any subjects opinion about that

object if you believe that

sounds our objective then you think that

a tree falling in the woods makes a

sound even if no one hears it usually we

think of things like objective facts

about the world there is a chair there

that's an objective fact it's not

dependent on what people would think of

it or at least a lot of people conceive

of things that way though some people

might conceive of truths about the world

and facts about the world as subjective

in some important way what do we mean by

subjective well if something is subject

if that means that it depends on a

subject for its existence or properties

it means that it is our perception or

opinions about that particular object

which give it particular properties if

you thought that something making a

sound was subjective that the idea of

making a sound was only something that

we as subjects invented and created and

only could be in some way to find or

exist if there was a subject to observe

it then you would claim that if no one

heard the tree falling in the woods it

would not make a sound basically what

you would be thinking there is that the

only way something can make a sound is

if there's someone to define that crash

that noise as a sound or that thing as

making that sound in fact some people

might argue that the tree as something

separate from the rest of the world

around it might not exist objectively

that it's only our subjective grouping

of certain molecules in one place and

certain molecules and another that call

that thing a tree and our grouping of

certain wavelengths in one place in

certain wavelengths in another that call

a certain thing a sound

some people might claim then that it is

subjective making a sound and therefore

if a tree falls in the woods and no one

hears it it doesn't make sound while I

may have one subjective experience and

you may have another perhaps we have

different emotions when faced with a

pretty

situation objective facts on the other

hand can't be different depending on who

perceives them the objective facts in

facts about the object the subjective

facts are facts about our experience or

subjects experience of that object if

something is objective then it cannot

depend on who is perceiving it for its

truth alright so what do you think what

properties are objective what properties

are subjective this is a question that

crosses basically all areas of

philosophy what will be the case even

without an observer and what depends on

an observer do facts about good are they

objective and a subjective what about

truth is truth something that's

objective or subjective what about facts

about beauty is that objective or is it

subjective offer your answers in the

comments below and watch this video and

more here at carne diese org and stay

skeptical about