I also notice I am confused about objectification. I find it easy to point to different things and say this is objectification, and this isn’t. But when I try to infer the distinction, I can’t specify it accurately enough to make me feel like I understand objectification. This is a problem for me because sometimes people make me feel objectified, and I want to tell them what they are doing and why it hurts, but I don’t think I can communicate that well at my current level of understanding.
Anyway, it is easy to point out some first order approximations to the concept, like that it has to do with acting in a way that diaregards one’s agency, but I think it is a subtler concept than just that.
This is a problem for me because sometimes people make me feel objectified, and I want to tell them what they are doing and why it hurts, but I don’t think I can communicate that well at my current level of understanding.
I also notice I am confused about objectification. I find it easy to point to different things and say this is objectification, and this isn’t. But when I try to infer the distinction, I can’t specify it accurately enough to make me feel like I understand objectification. This is a problem for me because sometimes people make me feel objectified, and I want to tell them what they are doing and why it hurts, but I don’t think I can communicate that well at my current level of understanding.
Anyway, it is easy to point out some first order approximations to the concept, like that it has to do with acting in a way that diaregards one’s agency, but I think it is a subtler concept than just that.
Have you tried saying that?
Excellent point. :)
Here’s a list of different uses of the word “objectification,” in a post by our very own lukeprog:
http://commonsenseatheism.com/?p=10323
More recently.