Objectification

Objectification is used too narrowly these days. It is used exclusively with "women" in talking about how they are treated as a means for having sex. But there is so much more to it.

Objectification is presenting anything as an object. Consider how often a story has a protagonist meet a character who embodies their fear or their courage. These are objectifications. The same thing happens with the angel and devil sitting on a person's shoulder (objectifying morals and desires). When the Wizard of Oz gave the Scarecrow, Tin Man, and Lion their gifts, those were also objectifications.

Even in terms of humanity, objectifying is more than sexual. When you think about how many people it would take to fill a swimming pool, you are objectifying them. They are no longer unique individuals, but blank slates whose sheer purpose is to be a tool to be counted and measured, but not examined.

"Evil corporations" are considered evil because they objectify us. They do not think of humans as people, but merely as numbers. How many people have to die before you recall your dangerous product? That is a question that is actually considered and answered by the "evil ones". (Of course, they lose court cases because the human victims tell their human stories to juries, who are sympathetic.)

Any time you think of a person in general, as a statistic or a number - any time that you think of a human being, but are not considering their life and feelings and experiences, you are objectifying that person. It is not an evil thing in itself (nor is it good in nature); it is why you objectify them and what you justify through your objectification that makes it good or evil.