Editing Subject and object (philosophy) (section)

{{short description|Philosophy terms referring to an observer versus the thing observed}}

The distinction between '''subject''' and '''object''' is a basic idea of [[philosophy]].
*A '''subject''' is a being that exercises [[Agency (philosophy)|agency]], undergoes conscious experiences, and is situated in relation to other things that exist outside itself; thus, a subject is any individual, [[person]], or observer.<ref name=:0/>
*An '''object''' is any of the things observed or experienced by a subject, which may even include other beings (thus, from their own points of view: other subjects).
A simple common differentiation for ''subject'' and ''object'' is: an observer versus a thing that is observed. In certain cases involving [[personhood]], subjects and objects can be considered interchangeable where each label is applied only from one or the other point of view. Subjects and objects are related to the philosophical distinction between [[Subjectivity and objectivity (philosophy)|subjectivity and objectivity]]: the existence of knowledge, ideas, or information either dependent upon a subject (subjectivity) or independent from any subject (objectivity).