It is generally defined that an ‘objective’ fact is that which exists independent of mind. The correct meaning of this concept (ie., one that corresponds to reality), is: Existence of an objective fact doesn’t require any mind. Observe that it is mind that identifies the facts, and identification of a fact has no meaning without a mind to identify it. Independent of whose mind is perceiving the fact, when identified correctly, identity of the fact must remain the same.
There can be no confusion about the meaning of this concept, except on the grounds of evading the distinction between Existence and Consciousness. The evasion can be observed in how the meaning of ‘objective’ is conveyed: “An objective fact is that which is identified without the use of mind.” This distortion is used to conclude that: Since it is an individual’s mind that perceives any alleged fact, and since objectivity requires “absence of mind”, mind cannot perceive objective facts.
This conclusion is maintained by accepting a false premise: Words do not symbolise concepts that correspond to reality, they are meaningless sounds articulated by arbitrary will of the collective, and can be used without any meaning. This effectively renders language as a method of cognition, unreliable.
The reason for accepting false premises is non-objectivity of mind. In this article, I will present the meaning of Objectivity of Mind, and its corresponding relation with Rationality.
Objectivity is the voluntary choice of a man to form his conclusions and evaluations, exclusively from what he knows. To be objective, a man can neither disregard what he knows for a fact, nor can he take on faith, anything that he doesn’t know. ie., to be objective is to be contextually absolute: to neither allow any context-dropping, nor allow any concept-stealing.
Reason, which is Consciousness qua man’s reasoning faculty, is that which identifies and integrates the information that he perceives. It is through a process of reason, that man identifies and integrates his contextual observations into the entire body of his knowledge.
Reason neither works automatically, nor can it identify and integrate that which doesn’t exist. Reason can only identify and integrate, that which exists. This is due to a fundamental principle, which can be called Absolutism of Reality: Reality exists as an absolute. A thing cannot both exist and not exist at the same time, in the same manner. Or, as Ms. Ayn Rand puts it, “You cannot have your cake and eat it too.”
In every instance of correctly identifying any A as A, and in the general proclamation of the universal law that A is A, implicit is the principle of absolutism of reality. That something exists as an absolute, and you are identifying it as such.
A contradiction is the result of an error made by man in the process of identifying that which exists. Contradictions as such do not exist in objective reality, because of its absolute nature. What can exist temporarily, ie., until a man voluntarily corrects himself, is his own error in identifying existence. If an individual misidentifies any A as non-A, he doesn’t alter the objective fact that A is A. He merely faces a contradiction when he attempts to integrate such false observation with his knowledge, which indicates that his identification was erroneous.
Rationality is the voluntary choice of a man to exercise his faculty of Reason. To be rational is to voluntarily identify existence, and integrate his observations into his entire knowledge, without contradiction. ie., to leave no part of his observations unintegrated with his entire knowledge. ie., to drop no context.
Now, to be Irrational means to attempt the impossible: to attempt the integration of non-existence with existence. ie., to fake reality and pretend that one has observed what he in fact, has not observed. Ie., to steal concepts that he has not formed himself. This is the process of claiming a false witness of reality, primarily to himself. To be irrational is to be non-objective.
Hence, Rationality is the method to preserve the objectivity of mind. An objective mind must be a rational mind.
– Avinash Kumar
23 September 2020.
Objective Absolute 