Four Senses Of Objectivity

Summary: According to Allan Megill, in the article “Introduction: Four senses of Objectivity”, Megill describes four senses of objectivity, noting that there is no such thing as “the objectivity question,” because there is certainly not the single way to understand objectivity or the objective criteria for knowledge. The four principal senses are as following:
The first sense of objectivity is an absolute sense of objectivity which originates from the idea of “representing things as they really are”. It aspires to a knowledge so faithful to reality as to suffer no distortion, and toward which all inquirers of good will are destined to converge. Therefore, the absolute sense of objectivity focuses individual subjectivity as an unnecessary bias
This no longer assumes a wholesale convergence and instead takes the consensus among the members of particular research communities as its standard of objectivity. In addition, Megill puts forth an enormous influent from Kuhn’s Structure of Scientific Revolutions to the academic research. According to the absence of a neutral view, the disciplinary objectivity stands as a highly significant from academic authority; hence, the principle of “equal validity” doesn’t fully apply to disciplinary objectivity. The claim to disciplinary objectivity as well as the claim to absolute objectivity is suggested an answer to the questions of forming
What is an absolute objectivity in nursing? 2. Is it correct, if we saying that experience is normal objectivity? 3. If subjectivity and objectivity are the ways of representing, what are the proper roles of notions of truth in a theory of objectivity and subjectivity?
Application: The theory of objectivity is indispensable not only to all healthcare providers, but also to nursing researchers. In my view, what calls object or subject are depend on the way we define it. Therefore, the perception of subject can either perceive accurately or seem to perceive features of the object that are not in the object. In nursing care, the object may have multi-aspects including patients, family, nurse and healthcare team, hospital policy, and etc. As a nurse, how to apply all knowledge into practice to improving care is the imperative. Therefore, the integrated four senses of objectivity along with PDCA are the most important to enhance continuous quality of care improvement. However, as coins have 2 sides, if nurses focus only on theoretical-based to care the patients, the patient-centered care may be diminish. Knowledge is power, so use it wisely is the most objective of responsibility in nursing