An Objectivist View of Reality
By Phin Upham
Objectivism offers an objective view of reality. An objectivist perceives what happens as fact, and does not subject something to personal opinion of belief. If our knowledge, our foundations and our ideas are to have any meaning, we must perceive reality for nothing more than what it appears to be.
Reality is not shaped by how we perceive it. Another way to think of this concept is to try and understand that history is happening all around us, whether we are conscious of it or not. We tend to take an objective view of the past. Not without controversy, of course, but we use facts we’ve uncovered from the past to inform our opinions or our knowledge. Our knowledge does not shape the past.
Thus facts are objective. They are without question, but still open to interpretation. We can look at a fact and ask what it means to us, or to society as a whole. Our perceptions and ideas about that fact, however, do not change it in any way.
An objectivist also views nature as the supreme being. There are no rational or logical arguments to the contrary, so nature is objectively all there is.
Objectivism, and its views on reality, can seem harsh to those outside the objectivist philosophy. After all, a lack of belief in a supreme being or interpretation sounds like an existentialist dilemma. It’s important to understand that Objectivism itself is not quite so limiting, it exists only as a reminder to embrace the nature of reality. Objectivism is about looking past your own perceptions toward the bigger picture, and understanding what actions are necessary to enact change.
About the Author: Phin Upham is an investor at a family office/ hedgefund, where he focuses on special situation illiquid investing. Before this position, Phin Upham was working at Morgan Stanley in the Media and Telecom group. You may contact Phin on his Phin Upham website or Facebook page.