Objectivity and Subjectivity in Ethics: A View from Thomas Nagel (Paperback)

A human being is endowed with reflective consciousness which marks a distinction between human beings and animals. He is not only conscious of the behavior of others but he is also conscious about his own behaviour towards others and in society. Humans act either voluntarily or involuntarily. A Human Being's actions may be shaped by any one, or a combination of the following factors: (i) instinct, (ii) customs prevalent in his/her society, (iii) reason. Sometimes he acts simply out of his passions and instincts which form the subjectivity in his/her action. Sometimes he behaves out of his rational thinking which implies acting according to certain objective standards. This gives rise to a fundamental question about the nature of morality and ethics. Among moral philosophers there are two dominant views prevalent regarding the nature of ethics. According to some moral philosophers ethical standards/norms/values are subjective, whereas for others they are objective.