In today’s episode, I want to talk more about the marriage of object and subject in the human person, and what that means.
We are Body & Soul Composites
We experience the objective world and we have a subjective lens. In order to understand that, we must remember what I discussed in the last two episodes on objective reality and our subjective experience. We have bodies that are objects in the world, but we also have a mind and soul that allows us to relate to one another, think abstractly, communicate ideas, and create art.
We can influence the world around us
It is possible to influence the world around us. Here are some of the ways we do that. We can:
- create, destroy, move, and manipulate objects
- persuade people logically
- influence people’s emotions
- have relationships with a whole person
But we can't dictate reality
This doesn't mean we can dictate everything around us. The laws of nature are beyond our control, although we can use them to our advantage. There are many things we cannot change or influence, and there are some that we have some sway over, but many are out of our control. That is something many subjectivists cannot admit: that our feelings about the world don't necessarily change it.
Related episodes:
147. Book Review | Fools, Frauds, and Firebrands by Roger Scruton
124. Our Pornographic Culture
What is Objective Reality?
What is Subjective Reality?
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