Objecting to the Objective

Objective truth objectifies: it's good for objects, but bad for people.

In common use, the words “objectively true’ are like a linguistic highlighter - underscoring that this truth is solid and reliable. Fair enough. However, the unspoken implication is that objective truth is the ONLY type that can reliably inform decisions.  

I object. 

Objectivity - a perspective free of context, perceived ideas and bias - is clearly critical in many dimensions of life - but not in all of them. 

Insisting that objectivity rules all dimensions of life contributes to deep harm. The standards of objective truth require objectification - which is appropriate for the visible world of objects but often harmful for the invisible domains of human life. Chairs and stars can be objectively measured but love and trust are inherently subjective; therefore, objectivity is clearly valuable for objects and somewhere between risky to harmful for everything else.