Objectification
The objectification (derived from the subject , object, from latin objectum: "the mind the superior") brings a state of affairs in an objectively accessible form and free it from subjective or other external factors, which are experienced as "interference" in certain contexts.
general definition
Objectification means that the form of the facts is free from the observer and can be defined as generally applicable. Due to the general validity, this form of the facts is transferrable and also comprehensible for all other viewers. In other words, this form, free of external influences, represents the correctness that is determined solely by the facts themselves.
In general, two types of objectification can be distinguished:
- Objectification 1st degree ("intersubjective comprehensibility") - With the help of certain procedures (tools) an attempt is made to obtain a complete and from the observer independent consideration of a situation / thing. This way of looking at things is transferable and comprehensible to all viewers (subjects). In other words, there should be no way of influencing disturbance variables.
- Objectification 2nd degree ("desubjectivation") - With the help of comparisons (benchmarking), documentation of the procedure and consideration of a residual uncertainty, an attempt is made to objectively present a subjective approach. This means that afterwards an attempt is made to filter out disturbance variables.
Applications
Application of the objectification principle in business administration
In business administration, objectification is used to obtain the most general and objective decision-making possible. An attempt is made to consider all possible influences and information and to present them objectively in order to minimize risks and make the best possible decision.
Company balance sheets
Company balance sheets should be based on legal certainty. At the same time, they should appear undistorted and unambiguous (objectification of the first degree). However, there is leeway at this point that enables companies to manipulate these balance sheets. In order to limit the scope for manipulation, the objectification principle should be applied at this point. The aim here is to convert the facts subjectively assessed by the entrepreneur into objectively verifiable ones (objectification of the 2nd degree). This is not regulated in detail by law; for this purpose, principles are derived from existing laws and applied.
Example of objectification of the 1st degree
§ 238 I HGB: Every merchant is obliged to keep books and to make his commercial transactions and the position of his assets visible in these according to the principles of proper accounting. The bookkeeping must be such that it can provide an expert third party with an overview of the business transactions and the situation of the company within a reasonable time. The business transactions must be traceable in their development and processing.
Application of the objectification principle in medicine
In order to be able to draw up an assessment of the employment-related performance in medicine, the objectification of the subjective description of a patient's complaints is of great importance. Particularly in the event of a possible departure from the profession, an objectified and therefore well-founded diagnosis is also of legal importance. In addition to the subjective description of the patient and extensive documentation of the course of the disease, laboratory findings, organ findings or other symptoms must be diagnosed or checked using recognized methods and also presented to non-specialists.
Application of the principle of objectification in engineering
Objectification in the engineering sector takes place e.g. B. Application in the assessment of driving comfort.
The driving comfort in the car is severely affected by vibrations. These can e.g. B. occur when driving on uneven roads. Since the driver's judgment is highly subjective, methods are used that measure and represent the vibrations on an objective level. Acceleration sensors are used to measure the vibrations that occur in the car during driving and test bench tests. Then it is necessary to evaluate the interrelationship between the different influencing factors on the vibration and the resulting comfort. This is achieved with the help of the data obtained, which are processed into an algorithm that assesses driving comfort and thus represents it objectively.
Limits of Objectification
Not everything can be objectified at will and thus presented as objectively as possible, i.e. as truthfully as possible. In contemporary philosophy, this topic was dealt with in detail by Thomas Nagel .
Restriction in psychology and medicine
For example, objectification can hardly be used in psychology and psychiatry. Because here only the people (subjects) themselves can be considered. In other words, the factual situation in itself is already subjective. Thus it is not possible to objectively evaluate the human psyche, but evaluations must also be made subjectively based on the experience of a psychologist. Medicine has its limits when it comes to objectifying pain perception .
Limitation due to human use
Since the objectification is generally carried out by humans, and the necessary tools were also developed and used by humans, a complete objectification is actually not possible in reality. External influences can neither be completely avoided nor filtered out absolutely. Nevertheless, objectification is being used more and more in many areas of business and science (see examples above), since the approximately objective form is sufficient in most cases.
Objectification of sexuality
In feminist discourse it is criticized that the orientation towards objective values as they are common from science and management also plays a role in intimate relationships. The result is - according to Iris Marion Young - the definition of female attractiveness using simple - and often unrealistic - parameters such as the size and shape of the breast. Overall, male sexuality is characterized by an abstraction of - subjective - feelings, which can lead to an objectification of women for the purpose of sexual satisfaction.
In cultural studies, it is controversial whether objectification is a general characteristic of sexuality, according to Immanuel Kant , whether it is owed to a patriarchal gender relationship, according to Andrea Dworkin and Catherine MacKinnon , or whether it is an expression of capitalist production relations , according to the Marxist interpretation of the literary scholar Edward J. Ahearn .
literature
- Jörg Baetge: Ways to objectify the annual success. Publishing bookstore of the Institut der Wirtschaftsprüfer GmbH, Düsseldorf, 1970
- Olaf Mäder: Objectification of the scope of information - command and procedure , in: Meeh (Hrsg.), 2006: Company valuation, accounting and auditing, Hamburg, 2006
- Thomas Nagel: The limits of objectivity. Philosophical Lectures . In: Reclam's Universal Library . tape 8721 . Reclam, Stuttgart 1991, ISBN 3-15-008721-X (Original title: The Limits of Objectivity, 1979. Translated by Michael Gebauer).
Web links
- Objectification in psychology - psychiater-psychotherapie.com
- Objectification of the vibration comfort - baufachinformation.de
- Objectification in business administration - cfoworld.de
- Objectification in medicine - dr-merz.com