Is thermodynamics subjective?

Thermodynamics is an unusual theory. Prominent figures, including J.C. Maxwell and E.T. Jaynes, have suggested that thermodynamics is anthropocentric. Additionally, fruitful contemporary approaches to quantum thermodynamics label thermodynamics a ‘subjective theory’. Here, we evaluate some of the strongest arguments for anthropocentrism based on the heat/work distinction, the second law, and the nature of entropy. We show that these arguments do not commit us to an anthropocentric view but instead point towards a resource-relative understanding of thermodynamics which can be shorn of the ‘subjective gloss’.