Thursday, April 19, 2018

Relativism and Subjectivism

'Relativism' sometimes has a derogatory connotation, usually in reference to 'Moral Relativism' or 'Cultural Relativism'.  In such cases, the target of derision is valuation that is specific to to some individual or collective Subject, on the basis of the thesis that the particularity of the valuation is transcended by some Absolute standard.  Now, Relativists of these sorts are usually unfazed by the antagonism, often challenging that the thesis is itself particularist in some respect, e. g. that it is 'ideological'. Regardless, these uses of the term sharply contrast with that of Physics, in which Relativity is a bilateral relation between two frames of reference, not a unilateral relation between a Value and a Subject.  Accordingly, 'Subjectivism' is more appropriate classification for the latter relation.  Likewise, as has been previously discussed, the concept of Primary Qualities as 'in' the Perceiver, rather than as between Perceiver and an Object in a perceptual field, is Subjectivistic, rather than Relativistic.  Plus, since, as has been previously discussed, the bilateral version is shown by Kant to be grounded in Pure Reason, the Relativism that it connotes is not easily derided as particularistic.

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