Objectivity [was Re: Re: [Israel.pm] Is University Really Necessary?]

Hi Arik and Ido and all!

On Monday 26 March 2007, Arik Baratz wrote:
> On 3/25/07, ik_5 <[email protected]> wrote:
> > Hello Araik,
>
> It's Arik, Ido.
>
> > As far as I know from your "CV" (I didn't really saw it), you where
> > head of computer science at the Technion, or something close.
> > Now I really respect what you are saying, but because Nir used some
> > quoting, I have the need to use it as well:
>
> I wasn't even close. I was an undergraduate student, I did work in the
> Technion Computer Center as a student, which is not the same as the
> Computer Science faculty. I did not have any role in this faculty
> other than that of a student.
>
> > Personally (I always write about myself or on people I know from first
> > hand), I'm not very objective in my perspective, and I think that non
> > of the answers on this subject can arrive from objective point of view.
>
> That's fine, objectivism is highly overrated. We cannot be objective
> merely because we live in a subjective world, the one we created for
> ourselves. I can go on and on about that, though.
>

Just a note. You claim that "objectivism" is highly over-rated. Do you mean 
the philosophy of Ayn Rand (also referred to as "Randianism")? Or do you mean 
plain-old "objectivity"?

In any case, I have a problem with this. As you may realise there are three 
similar but non-identical terms:

1. Unbiased.

2. Objective.

3. Neutral. Or as it is known on the Wikipedia - Neutral Point of View or 
NPOV.

They are not the same. For example, if I say "Genghis Khan performed many Evil 
acts", this is a biased statement. But it is objective because it is true.

While we are inherentely subjective to some extent, we can and should always 
try to be as objective as possible. I'm not saying we should be unbiased, 
just that we try to perceive and conceive reality as if we were not 
associated with anyone, and could always judge things objectively.

Aside from objective/subjective, there are also matters of taste, which are 
not subject to such judgement. I can consider a painting as good and another 
person may dislike it, and arguing about it is pointless.

Regards,

	Shlomi Fish

---------------------------------------------------------------------
Shlomi Fish      shlomif-ik1l9ssToec+JF/[email protected]
Homepage:        http://www.shlomifish.org/

If it's not in my E-mail it doesn't happen. And if my E-mail is saying
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    -- An Israeli Linuxer


 
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