subjectivism
|sub-jec-tiv-ism|
/səbˈdʒɛktɪvɪzəm/
truth/values depend on the subject
Etymology
'subjectivism' originates from English, specifically formed from the adjective 'subjective' plus the suffix '-ism', where 'subjective' ultimately derives from Latin 'subjectus' (from 'sub-' meaning 'under' and 'iacere'/'jacere' meaning 'to throw' or 'to place'), and the suffix '-ism' comes from Greek '-ismos' via Latin meaning 'doctrine, system, or practice'.
'subjectivism' developed as an English noun in modern philosophical usage by combining the adjective 'subjective' (from Latin via Middle French/Medieval Latin forms such as 'subjectivus'/'subjectif') with the noun-forming suffix '-ism'; the term became more common in the 19th and 20th centuries in discussions of epistemology, ethics, and aesthetics.
Initially related simply to being 'of or pertaining to the subject' (i.e., not objective), over time 'subjectivism' came to denote specific doctrines or systems asserting that truth, value, or knowledge depend on the subject (mind, feelings, perspective) rather than being independent.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
a philosophical position holding that knowledge, truth, or reality is dependent on the perceiving subject (mind, experience, or perspective) rather than existing wholly independently.
Subjectivism in epistemology emphasizes how perception and belief shape what counts as knowledge.
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Noun 2
in ethics, the doctrine that moral judgments are expressions of individual feelings, attitudes, or attitudes of approval/disapproval rather than statements about objective moral facts.
Moral subjectivism holds that 'right' and 'wrong' reflect personal attitudes, so moral disagreement is often a clash of feelings.
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Noun 3
in aesthetics and value theory, the view that judgments of beauty or value are determined by personal tastes or emotional responses rather than by objective properties.
Aesthetic subjectivism explains why people can reasonably disagree about what is beautiful.
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Last updated: 2025/08/26 22:37