https://web.archive.org/2024028191100/https://heliumtrades.com/balanced-news/?q=What+is+the+sharp+difference+between+objectivity+and+realism%3F

The Sharp Difference Between Objectivity and Realism:

Objectivity:

• Definition: Pertains to the idea of perceiving and representing facts without influence from personal feelings or prejudices [Aeon].
• Philosophical Context: Seeks to provide statements or truths that are free from personal bias, thus making them universally valid.

Realism:

• Definition: A philosophical position asserting that certain aspects of our reality, or reality as a whole, exist independently of our perceptions, thoughts, and linguistic practices [iai.tv].
• Types: Includes forms like scientific realism, which posits that the world described by science is the real world, independent of what we might think about it.

Key Difference:

• Objectivity is concerned with the methodology of observation and thought—aiming for neutrality to reach a 'truth' that is universally acceptable regardless of individual viewpoint.
• Realism, on the other hand, deals with the ontology of what exists, focusing on the nature of reality itself, presupposing that reality does not change regardless of human perceptions.

Philosophical Implications:
In practice, objectivity attempts to bypass personal and cultural biases through rigorous methodological standards, whereas realism engages in debates about what exists or does not exist in the world outside of our perceptions. Hence, these concepts, while overlapping in their pursuit of 'truth,' operate on fundamentally different levels—one methodological, the other ontological.

April 28, 2024