Subjectivity is a Feature, not a Flaw: A Call to Unsilence the Human Element in Science

Science is not, and has never been, a neutral endeavour. The myth of objectivity, that is, the notion that researchers can or should cleanse themselves of bias, is untenable, potentially intellectually dishonest, and ethically fraught. In this piece, we reject the sterile fantasy of the detached scientist and call for the unapologetic recognition of subjectivity as central to all scientific work. Bias is not a contaminant to be purged; it is a constitutive element of research, shaping every decision from hypothesis formation to data interpretation. Drawing on feminist, critical, and reflexive traditions, we argue that the ongoing erasure of the human element in science weakens intellectual integrity, dehumanizes researchers, and undermines the very rigor reformers claim to uphold. We advocate a model of science that is accountable, situated, and radically transparent; a model that sees reflexivity not as indulgence but as indispensable. This is not a plea for reform from the margins; it is a call to reclaim what science has always been: a deeply human, messy, beautiful pursuit of understanding and meaning.