To illustrate how different effects can be generated by the same cause, and are influenced by what perspective we view them from, consider how we might describe the Sun. (I will give it a capital letter since it is so important in our lives)!
In addition to illustrating cause and effect, this post will describe the difference between objective and subjective views. (If you want a more general description you’ll find it here).
The Sun’s warmth and light begat life on Earth so in terms of cause and effect, if we say that the Sun is a cause, an effect is life on Earth since its origins 4.5 billion years ago. Our distant ancestors probably knew this intuitively, which is why the Sun had God-like status in almost all ancient cultures.
A paradoxical aspect of the Sun worth noting (and known to the ancients) is that, even though almost all life on our planet is dependent on it, it can never be visited by us. In Greek mythology this is posited in the legend of Icarus, who fell into the sea and drowned after wax holding his wings together melted when he was flying to the Sun.
And I say almost above, because I am informed by people who know about these things that all life on Earth would not cease if the Sun disappeared. However, in respect of our human experience, the life that would survive would be of a very primitive nature.
It is no wonder that the prevailing image of God in almost all cultures is someone that humans depend on completely and has a substantial influence on our lives, that resides in a place we call heaven which is up in the sky, (somewhere the Sun is too), and, like the Sun, cannot be physically approached and met.
This cannot-be-approached-and-met bit has been analogised in most religions (certainly in Christianity which is the only one that I am really familiar with) in the sense that we have to die before we can physically meet our God. (I stress physically here – because many people believe that we meet our God every day; spiritually).
Getting back to how we describe the Sun, if you Google The Sun, (which I did) you will find out that it is a star that comprises about 99.86% of the mass of the Solar System and is estimated to be brighter than 85% of all the other stars in the Milky Way. It is the brightest object in our sky and is about 13 billion times brighter than the next brightest star. Its distance from Earth is about 150,000,000 km and light travels from the Sun to us in about 8 minutes and 19 seconds. Its surface temperature is over 5,500⁰C, and the energy of this sunlight, which consists of electromagnetic radiation, supports almost all life on Earth by a process called photosynthesis. The Sun rotates on its own axis and the rotational period is about 28 of our days.
Wow!
So that is one way to describe the Sun. I will call it an objective description. No matter who measures all of the above, if they use the same instruments for measuring, their answers will be the same.
In rainy Ireland when the Sun shines we usually feel a little better in ourselves. The Sun rising at dawn precipitates waking up, bird-song (dawn chorus), cock-crowing, new ideas (it dawned on me), and, ultimately, starting a new day. Increasing sunlight in the spring brings new life, hope and optimism, warmth, longer evenings, greenery, growth of necessary plants to feed and nurture us, and animals coming out of hibernation.
Even the word spring suggests energy and indeed the Irish word for spring (earrach) has a root in work, (suggesting that we Irish took the entire winter off and only began working again when the Sun came out for a bit longer). And the appearance of the Sun means we can get out and enjoy ourselves outdoors. So in our rainy climate the Sun will almost always be welcomed.
In a desert climate where farmers are desperate for rain people will almost certainly have a different attitude to the Sun than we have in Ireland. While it will still rise, bringing the dawn, birdsong, new day etc. it might also be very unwelcome at different times during the year. There may be a shortage of drinkable water and great efforts might have to be made to keep perishable foods fresh. The Sun’s heat may bring out unwanted insects or dangerous animals and far from getting outdoors and having picnics like we do in Ireland at the first sight of the Sun, its heat may be overbearing and unpleasant, and people will probably want to go indoors, block their windows to shield them from the sun, and sleep through its highest heat, (that is, have a siesta), in the hours after midday.
Now when we compare the three descriptions it is easy to see that while the first description will always be the same, (constant) the second and third will change (vary) depending on from what perspective we humans view the Sun.
The first description is objective i.e. it’s the same no matter who, when, where etc. The second and third are subjective. They depend on who describes, or where the person is, or what experiences she has had or is having in respect of the Sun, or maybe even when she describes it. Indeed, every person who describes may have a different description.
In terms of Cause and Effect, if we assume the Sun to be always the cause, then the effect might be totally different depending on our circumstances.
It might be helpful to look at the objective and subjective views in tabular form:
Objective and Subjective Views – The Sun
Objective and Subjective Views – The Rain
We can see that objectivity is concerned with practicality, what we observe and can measure etc. and subjectivity is concerned with our emotions, how we feel about something.
It is of interest to note that our ability to think symbolically and appreciate the abstract is strongly linked to our ability to be objective. Animals cannot really think objectively. They may have instinctive awareness of cause and effect but – apart from, perhaps, non-human primates who have some limited awareness – they cannot really imagine what will happen if the effect is two or more steps distant from the cause.
In order to figure out how to solve a problem and then – instead of doing something that will offer short-term relief – build a solution that will last we need to be able to think objectively.
Important Note:
The terms objective and subjective will be used a good bit in the website – many discussions, explorations etc. will make more sense if they are understood.