Bias versus Subjectivity

Everything is embedded in a specific, particularistic set of circumstances. Seeing only what you see from your corner of the universe is not necessarily about bias, (although the deliberate refusal to consider other points of view may be) it is about human limitation – our conditioning is linear and non-repeatable, so we cannot authentically be products of multiple cultures and circumstances, although we can acquire a superficial knowledge of other cultures.

The word “biased” is itself a “biased” (or loaded, not value neutral) term. It seems to me – and perhaps this is my “bias” – that subjectivities are inherent and inescapable in any particularistic assertion about reality. It is not possible to talk about anything without the subjective, point-of-view of the speaker(s) informing their discussion. Perhaps the only differences can be found in the degree to which speakers are willing to own their “biases” i.e subjectivities, vs their pretence that they don’t have any.

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polarity and subjectivity: The balance between polarity and equality as far as the genders go: we want to achieve the latter without losing the former; homogenisation serves no one. the same is true for ethnic, linguistic, faith and cultural groupings in a mosaic of co-existence, how to achieve functional equality without emasculating / defeminising complex traditions....