DURKHEIM ON THE OBJECTIVE

SOCIETY OF EXISTENCE
SOCIETY
Epistemology is about knowledge.
Epistemological statements are
statements about what we think is true.
In the realm of ontology, objective things
are mind-independent and subjective
things are mind-dependent. In other
words, objective phenomena are those
that exist outside of, or independently of,
the human mind. This includes things like
rocks, trees, physical bodies, and
concrete behaviours.
Reality for instance, a person might carry
out a certain action or pattern of action
because of a religious belief – that is,
they have certain beliefs about God, the
soul, the afterlife, morality, and so on.
A belief in God (or a nonbelief) is itself
subjective; it is a state of mind. This is
more obvious because presently there is
no accepted objective answer to the
question of whether God exists, despite
over 2500 years of philosophical
debate on the subject.
E  In the realm of epistemology, a statement is objectively true if it
is true for all rational observers, that is, if all rational people,
P exposed to the same evidence, would be able to agree on the
I same conclusion. A statement is subjectivity true if even rational
observers exposed to the same evidence would be unable to
S agree on the same conclusion.
T  So, for instance, a rose is objectively real – that is, ontologically
E objective – because it is a physical object which exists
M independently of the human mind. A statement like “this rose has
seven thorns on its stem” is epistemologically objective because it
O can be verified and agreed on by all rational observers.
L However, the statement “this rose is beautiful” is considered
subjective because beauty is considered something that rational
O observers may legitimately disagree on.
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 •Ontology is about things. Ontological statements are statements
O about what we think is real.

N •In the realm of ontology, objective things are mind-independent

and subjective things are mind-dependent. In other words,
T objective phenomena are those that exist outside of, or
independently of, the human mind. This includes things like rocks,
O trees, physical bodies, and concrete behaviours. Subjective things,
on the other hand, exist only in the human mind. This includes
L thoughts, feelings, perceptions, motivations, desires, fears, dreams,
and so on. In the realm of epistemology, on the other hand,
O objectivity and subjectivity refer to the status of truth-claims.

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PETER L. BERGER
•The sociology of religion is certainly a core Weberian topic for historical sociology, so
the fact that Berger identifies strongly with Weber may partially explain his choice
of the topic. But this doesn't seem right, given Berger's narrative
in Adventures. Berger's interest in the topic seems more religiously inspired; he refers
frequently to his own "theological" approach. He writes repeatedly about his own
movement across the landscape of Christian belief.