objectification

In social philosophy, objectification is the act of treating a person as an object or a thing. Sexual objectification, the act of treating a person as a mere object of sexual desire, is a subset of objectification, as is self-objectification, the objectification of one's self. In Marxism, the objectification of social relationships is discussed as "reification".

== Definitions == According to Martha Nussbaum, a person is objectified if one or more of the following properties are applied to them: Instrumentality – treating the person as a tool for another's purposes Denial of autonomy – treating the person as lacking in autonomy or self-determination Inertness – treating the person as lacking in agency or activity Fungibility – treating the person as interchangeable with (other) objects Violability – treating the person as lacking in boundary integrity and violable, "as something that it is permissible to break up, smash, break into." Ownership – treating the person as though they can be owned, bought, or sold (such as slavery) Denial of subjectivity – treating the person as though there is no need for concern for their experiences or feelings