Yes, but even subjective judgements are invalid if they're not based on objective differences.
If you reliably prefer white wines in blind tastings and I reliably prefer reds, that's valid. But if we both claim a preference but can't actually identify which is which, our preferences themselves are invalid.
Or at least, we've learned that our true preference is "I like the experience of tasting a wine that I have seen is X color."
Perhaps the truth is sometimes "I enjoy consuming something that I have been told is expensive." It would at least be enlightening to know that about ourselves.
Yes, but even subjective judgements are invalid if they're not based on objective differences.
I disagree here... subjectivity is intrinsically at odds with objectivity. They may sometimes work together (mostly in "I agree with you about this opinion for this reason that both of us can clearly observe"), but calling something subjective "invalid" is calling an opinion invalid. It can't be unless you've decided to have an opinion about a fact (e.g. "I have decided that this spoon, which is clearly silver, is actually copper").
>> subjectivity is intrinsically at odds with objectivity.
Maybe I wasn't clear? Suppose your opinion is "wines which are red (objective) are tastier (subjective)." If you cannot even identify red wines by taste, you clearly, provably, do not prefer the taste of red wines.
There may be something else about the visual experience, social prestige, etc that you like about drinking red wine, but as far as taste, you are fooling yourself. Your opinion about the taste is invalid in the sense that it isn't about what you claim it is.
Fair point, but I think there is an everyday common threshold we operate with, when an opinion strays too far from any objective characteristics, we say its dumb. It's not a hard and fast rule, but I think we all have some idea where that line is drawn.
Yes, but even subjective judgements are invalid if they're not based on objective differences.
If you reliably prefer white wines in blind tastings and I reliably prefer reds, that's valid. But if we both claim a preference but can't actually identify which is which, our preferences themselves are invalid.
Or at least, we've learned that our true preference is "I like the experience of tasting a wine that I have seen is X color."
Perhaps the truth is sometimes "I enjoy consuming something that I have been told is expensive." It would at least be enlightening to know that about ourselves.