Subjectivism is the philosophical view that reality is dependent on the mind of the subject rather than existing independently of the subject’s perception. In other words, subjectivists believe that truth and morality do not exist objectively, but are rather constructed and interpreted by each individual according to their own experiences, beliefs, feelings and worldview.
From a Christian perspective, subjectivism presents some significant challenges to core biblical principles. The Bible presents truth as objective, eternal and originating from God rather than man. Subjectivism disputes this by asserting that truth is simply whatever each person determines it to be based on their subjective viewpoint. This article will examine what the Bible teaches about subjectivism and offer a biblical response to this philosophy.
The Basis for Subjectivism
Subjectivism has its roots in the works of philosophers such as Protagoras, who famously stated that “man is the measure of all things.” Other influential subjectivist thinkers include the Sophists, David Hume, Søren Kierkegaard and Friedrich Nietzsche. In the modern era, postmodernism has widely embraced subjectivist ideas.
At the heart of subjectivism is a rejection of universal truth. Subjectivists claim that there are no absolute truths that apply to all people at all times. They argue that reality and morality are not fixed but fluid, constructed by human minds and cultures. What is “true” for one person may not be “true” for another, based on their subjective points of view.
This stands in contrast to the concept of objectivism, which holds that reality exists independently of human perception. Objectivists believe that there are absolute truths about the world and human life. These universal truths exist outside of what any one person happens to think or feel.
Subjectivism and Perception of Reality
A key distinction between subjectivism and objectivism lies in their perception of reality. Subjectivists view reality as highly malleable and open to interpretation by the individual. For the subjectivist, reality is rooted in human experience rather than external facts.
Subjectivists may acknowledge shared aspects of reality based on common human experiences. However, they ultimately reject any fixed reality that is universally true for all people. What is “real” becomes anchored to the subjective views and contextual experiences of each person.
This has significant implications for concepts like truth and morality. Subjectivism detaches truth from any external standard, arguing that truth is whatever each individual decides for themselves. Right and wrong become situational rather than absolute values. Even the meaning of reality is fluid and subject to revision.
In the subjectivist framework, objective reality essentially disappears. Nothing is absolutely or universally true at all times. Anything can potentially be redefined and reinterpreted based on the subjective viewpoints of individuals or groups.
Subjectivism and the Nature of Truth
A biblical view of truth stands at odds with the subjectivist position. The Bible presents truth as objective, universal and coming from God. Subjectivism contests this by asserting that truth is subjective, variable and created by human minds.
The subjectivist view implies that truth is pliable and changes from person to person. Something may be considered true for one individual but not for another. Subjectivists typically describe truth as internal rather than external – truth comes from within human experience rather than conforming to objective facts outside of ourselves.
From this perspective, truth becomes a matter of interpretation. What is “true” depends on the lens through which each person views the world. Their culture, worldview, feelings and desires all shape their understanding of truth. No source of truth can claim universal authority since truth is relative to the subjective context of each individual.
In contrast, the Bible presents truth as fixed, eternal and sourced in the unchanging character of God. Biblical truth does not fluctuate from person to person. God declares, “I the Lord do not change” (Malachi 3:6), establishing his eternal consistency as the foundation for objective truth. His word is truth (John 17:17), providing an authoritative source of universal truth that stands over human perspective.
Subjectivism and Moral Relativism
Subjectivist ideas lead to moral relativism when applied to the realm of ethics and morality. Moral relativists believe ethical standards are not universal but are constructed by each culture or individual. There are no moral absolutes that apply to all people at all times.
Subjectivism allows each person to determine right and wrong for themselves. Actions cannot be called objectively good or evil since those labels only have meaning within a given cultural or individual context. Nothing is immoral unless an individual judges it to be so according to their own subjective moral framework.
This contradicts the biblical view of objective moral truth. Scripture presents right and wrong as fixed standards established by God, not fickle choices made by man. Morality is grounded in God’s unchanging holy character rather than the subjective preferences of human culture. The Bible condemns moral relativism, teaching that some actions are immoral no matter who commits them or where they occur.
Biblical Christianity upholds moral absolutism – the view that universal moral standards exist and apply to all people in all cultures. Subjectivism disputes this in favor of moral relativism, asserting that morality is flexible rather than fixed, situational rather than universal. This places subjectivism in direct conflict with the ethical teachings of the Bible.
Subjectivist Views of Meaning and Purpose
Subjectivism has profound implications for meaning, purpose and fulfillment in human life. In the subjectivist framework, meaning is not objectively discovered but individually constructed. There is no transcendent source of meaning or purpose outside of the self.
Life has whatever meaning each person ascribes to it. The subjectivist seeks meaning by looking inward to their own feelings, pursuits and changing beliefs. Meaning originates from within rather than being given from beyond human existence.
In this view, fulfillment is achieved by pursuing whatever seems meaningful to each individual. Subjectivists reject any objective standard for human flourishing, arguing instead for the right of each person to decide what makes life fulfilling. This results in diverse, conflicting and changing visions of purpose based on subjective preferences.
The Bible presents a very different view of meaning rooted in God’s eternal nature and purposes. As the Creator, God designed humanity for a purpose which can only be properly fulfilled through relationship with him. Meaning is discovered rather than invented as we align our lives with God’s design and will.
Subjectivism ultimately provides no firm foundation for purpose. Basing meaning on subjective preferences results in fleeting, unreliable standards that constantly shift. In contrast, a biblical view of meaning anchored in God offers objective, eternal significance for human existence.
Subjectivism’s Impact on Belief and Worldviews
Subjectivism has significantly impacted how people form their beliefs and worldviews. A subjectivist approach applies personal experience and feeling as the lens through which ideas are evaluated. The consistency of a belief with objective facts becomes secondary to its alignment with subjective preferences.
Ideas that elicit positive emotions or seem congruent with personal perspectives are embraced. Challenging or displeasurable ideas are dismissed as untrue based on the individual’s subjective response. In this paradigm, personal taste and experience dictate truth more than factual accuracy or logical coherence.
The resulting subjectivist worldviews mold reality into whatever seems desirable or intuitive to each individual. Disagreement and contradictions between differing worldviews are inevitable since truth is no longer moored to any external standard. Shared understanding of the world deteriorates as truth fragments into myriad personalized narratives.
The Bible puts forward propositions about God, humanity and reality that stand independent of human opinion. While faith involves personal experience, biblically grounded belief is rooted in historical events and divine revelation. Scripture calls believers to shape their worldview around God’s truth rather than subjective preferences.
Christian Responses and Relevance
The biblical tension with subjectivism puts issues of truth, morality and meaning into stark relief for Christianity. Subjectivism asserts that these concepts do not exist objectively but are constructed and reinterpreted by human cultures and individuals. This challenges the core Christian claim that truth and morality have their foundation in the eternal character and purposes of God.
In response, Christians can highlight the shortcomings of subjectivism compared with the coherence and livability of a biblical worldview. Subjectivism provides no stable source of truth, ethics or meaning. Anything goes when truth is individually determined. In contrast, God’s revelation offers objective truth that applies universally across humanity and remains fixed across generations.
Christian apologists can make the case that human flourishing requires a meaning and morality grounded in eternal, loving Creator rather than fickle subjective preferences. Our finite perspectives require God’s wisdom as an authoritative guide to life. Though subjectivism celebrates the freedom of each person to find their own truth, it lacks the resources to establish truth that endures and leads to human thriving.
The instability of truth under subjectivism makes Christianity’s unchanging message of particular relevance. The gospel offers objective meaning, ethics and hope anchored in God’s revelation rather than changing human ideas. Christians have the opportunity to present an alternate vision of reality that resonates precisely because it stands apart from the unreliability of subjectivism.
Key Subjectivist Claims and Biblical Responses
The Bible provides perspective on key claims made by subjectivists. Christian responses affirm biblical truth while exposing subjectivism’s inability to establish meaningful truth, ethics or purpose.
Subjectivist Claim: What is true depends on individual perspective rather than external facts
Biblical Response: God’s word presents universal truth that stands over human opinion (Psalm 119:160; John 17:17). While our conclusions can be faulty, truth itself has its basis in God rather than us (Romans 3:4).
Subjectivist Claim: Moral standards are created by cultures and individuals rather than existing objectively
Biblical Response: Morality is defined by God’s unchanging holy character. He has written his law on every person’s heart and will judge all according to his standards (Hebrews 8:10; Romans 2:14-16).
Subjectivist Claim: Life has no objective or transcendent meaning
Biblical Response: As our Creator, God designed us with meaning and purpose. True fulfillment comes from relationship with him and aligning with his will (John 14:6; Matthew 6:33).
Subjectivist Claim: Individual experience and feeling determine what is true or ethical
Biblical Response: Fallen humanity cannot rely on subjective preferences to establish truth and goodness. We need the light of God’s revelation and Spirit to lead us beyond our limited perspectives (Jeremiah 17:9; 1 Corinthians 2:14).
Subjectivist Claim: Every person and culture constructs equally valid versions of reality and morality
Biblical Response: God’s word presents universal moral truth and an accurate understanding of reality. Contradictory perspectives cannot all be true or valid (John 14:6; 1 Timothy 6:20).
Key Biblical Teachings Opposing Subjectivism
Scripture affirms objective truth that challenges subjectivism’s contention that truth is whatever individuals decide. Biblical teachings upholding absolute and eternal truth provide a framework for assessing and responding to subjectivist claims.
God’s Unchanging Nature
“Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.” (James 1:17)
Eternal, Immutable Truth Originating from God
“The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever.” (Isaiah 40:8)
The Universal Authority and Sufficiency of Scripture
“All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.” (2 Timothy 3:16-17)
Christ as the Exclusive Source of Truth and Life
“Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.'” (John 14:6)
The Fallen Limitations of Human Perspective and Understanding
“The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned.” (1 Corinthians 2:15)
God’s Moral Law Written on Every Person’s Heart
“For when Gentiles, who do not have the law, by nature do what the law requires, they are a law to themselves, even though they do not have the law. They show that the work of the law is written on their hearts.” (Romans 2:14-15)
Dangers of a Subjectivist Worldview
Attempting to live out subjectivism consistently reveals flaws in its understanding of truth, morality and meaning. A thoroughly subjectivist worldview undermines the very possibility of meaningful thought and communication. Christian apologists can identify dangers that highlight subjectivism’s deficiencies.
No Common Basis for Truth or Ethics
With no external standard for truth beyond personal preference, establishing shared truth or ethics becomes impossible. Disagreements cannot be resolved since nothing can arbitrate between contradictory subjective views.
Truth Claims Lose Authority
All truth claims lose any force since truth is just a matter of opinion. Subjectivism eliminates grounds for judging any claim as untrue or unreasonable since each perspective carries equal weight.
Communication Breaks Down
Shared meaning disintegrates when words become vessels for private subjective experiences rather than common external referents. Misunderstanding prevails when language has no objective content.
No Grounds for Purpose or Fulfillment
Basing life’s meaning on subjective preferences provides no foundation for purpose that transcends personal tastes. Goals lose coherence as individuals endlessly reinterpret purpose according to shifting perspectives.
Inability to Learn or Grow
Adhering to fixed subjective beliefs stifles growth, since truth has no basis beyond confirming preexisting personal preferences. Changing perspectives becomes impossible since contradiction cannot be allowed.
Social Fragmentation
With no shared truth or ethics, unbridgeable divisions emerge between groups that construct differing subjective realities. Society splinters as individuals reject common meaning, truth and morality.
Subjectivism Within the Church
Though most professing Christians uphold God’s revelation as the source of objective truth, subjectivist influences can seep into church thinking and practice. Christians must remain vigilant in assessing ideas against the plumb line of Scripture to avoid slipping into subjectivism.
Subjectivist tendencies that can subtly distort biblical truth include:
Emphasizing personal perspectives and experiences over scriptural authority
Ignoring or reinterpreting clear biblical teaching to fit subjective preferences
Asserting that biblical truth means something different to each person
Saying moral standards are up to each person’s conscience rather than being objectively defined by God
Basing church practices primarily on cultural trends, popularity or emotion rather than biblical fidelity
Selectively applying Scripture based on which verses subjectively appeal to individuals
Countering such influences requires commitment to the principles of sola scriptura and tota scriptura – Scripture alone as the complete authoritative guide for faith and practice. Christians must uphold the objectivity of biblical revelation while allowing their own imperfect perspectives to be refined and reformed according to God’s eternal truth.
Living Out Biblical Truth
In contrast to subjectivism, Christianity grounds truth, morality and meaning in God’s nature rather than human perspective. Some practices for living this out include:
Recognizing that absolute truth comes from God’s revelation, not our subjective reasoning
Allowing Scripture to critique our assumptions, values and beliefs rather than vice versa
Discerning right from wrong based on biblical principles rather than personal preferences
Conforming our feelings and desires to Scripture instead of the reverse
Anchoring our identity and purpose in relationship with God rather than changeable circumstances
Being willing to express and defend biblical truth in the public square
Grounding church doctrine and practices in scriptural authority rather than cultural subjectivism
Clinging to absolute biblical truth provides believers with a secure identity and understanding of reality. It also enables Christians to preach the gospel as eternal and authoritative, providing genuine hope rooted in God’s unchanging nature rather than shifting human ideas.