Friday, January 15, 2010

the Poison of Subjectivism

Lewis feels very strongly about Subjectivism and says that it is a purely theoretical error that has removed the normal checks and balances that normally support good intentions and has allowed new "Power philosophies of totalitarian states." I think that Lewis is quite correct in his thinking here. The reason I think this is because the point of Subjectivism is to think about how the rational part of the mind thinks. The whole idea is quite unsound. After all how can one examine what he himself thinks about what one is thinking? It is quite a circular argument that leads no where.

I do however think the idea of Subjectivism spawns from an important idea that one should examine ones own base assumptions to see if those assumptions are valid. This is an important thing to do because it helps one to remove prejudices and to ensure that ones facts are not being effected by what one assumes. However this idea has a limit and that is that you have to assume that your logic is logical. This is as stated above because if you question your own logic, you fall prey to subjectivism and go around in circles sounding rather foolish to any philosopher who is worth his salt. Now this is not to say, of course, that logic cannot be flawed because after all we are humans that have been effected by sin and as such there will be flaws in our logic, but this is why we have our fellow man, in the sense of humanity for people who would choose to take my words and misconstrue them for those of you who would not I apologize, because it is often that no two people have the exact same problem and so when they discuss things together the flaws in each's logic are allieviated. This is what I think is meant when it is said that iron sharpens iron. So that one day we will be sharp enough to cut through the theoretical error that is Subjectivism and see truth as God intended it.

1 comment:

  1. I think your argument about needing to be subjective is very much like Lewis's essay on looking at and along a situation. However, he does say about subjectivism itself "it is as though we have taken our own eyes out to look at them." Meaning, of course, that it is circular logic. (Which is pretty much what you've summarized above). I see too, how Subjectivism could have come from our need to be certain that we are certain about things. But of course, we took it too far, and here we are, in a Post-Modern society where most "truths" are considered subjective. I would like to say, thought, that I don't think we will ever get past Subjectivism entirely as a species. As long as people doubt themselves (and we all do), Subjectivism and its related schools of thought will continue to exist.

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