ABSTRACT
Quality is a term that has always been difficult to define. Do we consider it measurable or intangible? Hirst [1, p. 454] points out that in the history of Western thought, Robert Boyle (The Origin of Forms and Qualities, 1666) described a “quality” or a characteristic as being primary (measurable) and secondary (non-measurable). Locke, in his Essay Concerning Human Understanding (1690), gave the issue its classical formulation when he argued that material objects possess five measurable, primary qualities:
1. Extension (size) 2. Figure (shape) 3. Motion or rest 4. Number 5. Solidity (impenetrability)
They also possess several secondary, nonmeasurable qualities:
1. Color 2. Taste 3. Smell 4. Sound 5. Warmth or cold
Primary qualities (characteristics) of an object for both Boyle and Locke are inherently capable of being quantified. We can measure each to rather precise levels and can agree, using standard measuring instruments and techniques, on values found in objects. Secondary qualities (characteristics), however, are relative to the observer. What smells one way for me could smell another way for you and even though we can measure the odor, each individual must assess its quality regardless of the measurement (what we measure are the odor’s primary qualities). Thus, it becomes extremely difficult to quantify them.
