Is quality objective or subjective?

Question

Or is it neither, but rather a third and separate entity?

Answer 1

Well considering the definitions of objective and subjective, I'd say that quality is both objective and subjective, and could therefore be seen as a seperate entity.

Answer 2

"Quality" can be either 'objectively' or 'subjectively' chosen ... but it is not a 'third and separate entity' because 'objective' and 'subjective' make up a 'complete whole' and the quality of anything can make up only part of the 'complete whole' of that thing. If you were doing a 'chart' to explain this, the 'subjective' and 'objective would be the 'top circle' and divided in 'half' ... and the quality would be part of the 'next circle down' that can include other 'qualifiers' like quantity, intensity, etc.

Answer 3

I'd say subjective. It all depends on the person and what they view as quality. You could tie this concept with a bigger picture: does everyone have the same definition for any word? Not exactly. Sure, there are some things that aren't interpreted differently, then again there are things which really just depend on the person. In my opinion, quality should be objective, but it usually isn't. For instance, what I view as quality music may be lousy to someone else. In the end, each individual must define quality for themselves.

Answer 4

it is both, first it is objective then subjective, in regards to well known things. for most things people have an innate understanding of quality. If i built a car that had one tire and no engine you could not say that was a quality car "unless you had never seen a car" but if I built a car that was 12 cylinders 300 horse power some would say it was a high quality car while some would have no idea what any of that meant or would think it was a gas guzzler and therefore a low quality car.
at the basic level quality is objective when made into a complex item it becomes less general and their for subject to subjective insight.

Answer 5

There are many psychological schools of thought that perceive people and the world differently. The one I most agree with is the 'social construction' school of thought which holds that most concepts are 'constructs' i.e. they are developed by human beings within a specific context and have a specific meaning in that context; since contexts and humans differ around the world, the same construct (in this case quality) will have different meanings.

Think about it this way: to the very rich, only designer clothes & accessories represent 'quality. While the middle-class majority might aspire to these things, it isn't as if they're currently clothed in rags.... clothing bought at regular-priced stores are also good. So the definition of 'quality' changes depending mainly on your budget and your aspirations. And because it doesn't have a fixed definition (like gravity, for example), quality is highly subjective.

Answer 6

Since objective has an emotional connotation and subjective does not...its an interesting question!
Lets see....personally, I find "quality", and I'm assuming you mean worth, as in material quality, to be both. Objectively, because worth interacts with emotional response to an object, and subjective because it is personal, thought taking place in the mind rather than externally.
If, however, you are talking about quality as essential character or nature, then, to me, it would be subjective.

Answer 7

Objective example: I worked in metal manufacturing for many years, and had to adhere to strict tolerances when it came to sizes, finishes and geometric features. Quality was measurable beyond any point of discussion. It either adhered to the tolerance, or it did not.

Subjective example: I've also been a musician for many years, and always strive for quality - as opposed to "perfection." Quality in my music is represented by tonality, tempo, phrasing, execution, etc.

When I'm creating/recording a new song, it could go on forever with the edits and changes, but at some point in the game, I have to say,"OK...this thing is finished." At that point, my finished work represents the "quality" I wanted to put into it. Certainly not perfection, but damn good enough.

Answer 8

In industry, we have "quality systems" which are intended to maintain the "quality" of a product or service.

Within these systems, quality is objective and measurable. It is the degree to which a product, or the carrying out of a process, conforms to the relevant criteria listed in the quality system's documented standards..

Sometimes people confuse this "quality" with concepts of good and bad. In industry we have many things that are beautiful and useful, but you can also have something ugly and useless that nevertheless conforms to the quality system.

Answer 9

Objective. Quality depends on a persons perception. Your good quality might be considered a bad quality by me.

Answer 10

Quality is objective, dealing with physical, measureable characteristics of a product or service. It is subjective only to those who can't recognize it, and to those who wish to market inferior products.