Subjectivism holds that truth depends on individual perspective. What is true for you may not be true for me. What is right for one person may be wrong for another. Subjectivism comes in several forms. Moral subjectivism holds that moral judgments express personal attitudes. Aesthetic subjectivism holds that beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Epistemic subjectivism holds that knowledge depends on the knower. Subjectivism contrasts with objectivism, which holds that some truths are independent of individual perspective.

Subjectivism is often confused with relativism. Relativism holds that truth depends on a group or culture. Subjectivism holds that it depends on the individual. Both reject the idea of universal truth. Critics argue that subjectivism is self-defeating. If all truth is subjective, then the claim that all truth is subjective is itself subjective. Defenders reply that subjectivism is about values and experiences, not about all truth. It is plausible that taste in food is subjective. It is less plausible that the laws of physics are subjective. Subjectivism has been influential in ethics, aesthetics, and existentialism. It emphasizes the first-person perspective and the irreducibility of personal experience.

Forms of subjectivism

• Moral. Moral judgments express personal attitudes.
• Aesthetic. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.
• Epistemic. Knowledge depends on the knower.
• Metaphysical. Reality depends on the observer.

Subjectivism is not the same as individualism. Individualism is a social and political philosophy. Subjectivism is a theory about truth and value.