Does Objective Reality Really Exist?

The possibility of objective reality as represented as the ability to witness the world as it is is an idea many assume they know as fact. The world is a huge place, a place in which a plethora a concepts, values and ideas struggle for recognition in the same way, that the objectivity of the world is in continual question.

Is there an objective reality that exists, that the majority of people agree with? Looking through some of the common theories, that will try to explain why there is an objective reality, I found that some of the ideas led to an existential crisis for me.

It's common for those, who subscribe to something like a materialist idea of reality, which is the idea, that all there is to reality is matter and energy, to explain things away by saying that there is a God of something, or that some entity or something has a soul in a way, that makes it different, than any other thing.

However, it's not that simple. As I see it, the problem with all of these views is that they fail to take into account the importance of consciousness and our existence within it. That may seem like a strange assertion. How can our existence be important? Well, simply that without it, there has to be a reason why anything exists at all.

What Is Objective Reality

It's important to think about the idea of objective reality in this way. We've been taught, that it's something that exists out there, waiting to be discovered, waiting for human consciousness to catch up to it.

However, as I see it, the actual process of discovery is happening right now and it's being influenced by the fact, that humans are a highly conscious beings. It's not that the "real world" was waiting to be discovered. Rather, the world we see and experience right now is the only world that exists.

The discovery of objective reality is a human endeavor. It's been shaped by human values, human understanding, human philosophy, and human history. We are the bearers of objective reality. It's just that simple. Now, when we say "objective reality", what do we actually mean?

Let's start with the idea, that being "real" is being "out there". What does that even mean? Is a tree "out there" or is it merely an idea? Is the sky "out there" or is it merely an idea? What about a rock? Is a rock merely an idea? Is there a way to escape the idea that everything that exists is merely an idea?

If everything is merely an idea, then what's to stop someone from creating a new universe tomorrow? What's to stop a God from creating a new world or two? What's to stop a mad scientist from creating a time machine? These are all fantastic ideas that attempt to answer these questions, but they all have their shortcomings.

The idea of God attempts to answer why anything exists, but the idea of God requires, that something other than matter and energy exist. It is an attempt to reconcile the fact, that while there is no way to know, that there is in fact, an objective reality. God is supposedly the creator of objective reality. Or, more accurately, the creator of the things, that we see as objective reality.

The Problem With Objective Reality

The problem with this view is that it's not only a God, that you're trying to reconcile and I think it's important to note, that there are different ideas of God in the world and that your idea of God may not be the same as everyone else's.

That's not to say, that there aren't reasonable arguments for and against the existence of God. There are. It's just that this is a very philosophical view, that is attempting to answer a highly complex question. It is not a question, that can be answered by the scientific method or a question, that a person can be proven or disproven of. That's not to say, that God doesn't exist. It's just to say, that this is not the most efficient way to ask the question.

Moving on, the idea that there may be a "higher power", that exists that can or cannot interfere with the natural order of things has also been proposed. That's the idea of "The Great Architect." The problem with this idea is that it relies on a concept of "The will of God", that most people don't agree with. There is no definition of what this will is and it's open to anyone's interpretation.

Science Versus Belief

Another idea, that has come up, is a synthesis of both science and faith. This idea calls into question the very nature of both. To understand this idea, let's start with a basic premise: Nothing exists unless it is affected by something else.

By this view, science and faith are both striving to answer the same question: what exists? But, they are going about it from different directions. Science looks at what exists and works to categorize it. Faith looks at what exists and tries to connect it to something of greater meaning.

In short, this idea says that there is no such thing as objective reality. There is only reality, and how we interpret, that reality is what shapes how we see the world. There are many variations of this idea, and many different ways to reconcile science and faith. But all of them ultimately come down to this: we are the authors of our own reality.

The Idea of Reconciliation

The concept of the "objective reality" has been used to justify many questionable acts, and it's no different here. The idea of a "supernatural force" being behind what we experience is a common theme in all religions and it's not a particularly new idea.

However, it is often used as a blanket statement to defend all types of atrocities, with the believer being able to rationalize any kind of behavior: from the dropping of the atomic bombs on Japan to the mass genocide of the holocaust.

While the "supernatural force" may not have been involved, it's not as if these terrible things were done without the influence of other, more "mundane," beings. In this view, good and evil are human constructs. There is no inherent moral high ground. One man's hero is another man's villain.

That's not to say there aren't "good" and "bad" people. It is just to say, that there is no real distinction between them. The difference is in the interpretation of the "truth." There is no single view, that is universally agreed upon.

The idea of the "supernatural force" is a way to both explain away unpleasant realities, while also finding a higher power, that one can turn to for guidance.

This is the idea of the "Great Architect", who most often appears as a grandiose, benevolent being. He is said to have a plan for all of creation and he is watching over you and guiding you in accordance with this plan.