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Greeny World Domination 109
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What is quality? What makes something "better" (or at least of a higher
quality than something else? An exact definition of quality has long been
elusive and has brought about much discourse through the ages. Even in the
twenty-first century, while different quality standards abound in industry and
the U.S. government has established an award for companies that exhibit
exceptional quality (the Malcolm Baldridge Award), the term still lacks a
universally accepted definition. Standards such as these merely define
quality with respect to specific applications (or sets of applications, such
as industrial processes) without actually explaining what quality is. this is
through no fault of their own, though, as lack of a clear definition is in the
very nature of quality. Some say that quality is merely what you like;
others say it is what *society* thinks you should like. Others attach
philosophical implications to the concept of quality, a very interesting
subset of the discourse surrounding its definition. A study of the
philosophical aspects of quality is found in Robert M. Pirsig's _Zen and the
Art of Motorcycle Maintenance_.
When trying to define a word, the most obvious place to begin is the
dictionary. With quality, though, the dictionary is somewhat lacking.
Merriam-Webster defines quality as "an inherent feature," "degree of
excellence," and "a distinguishing attribute..." (955). The definition
continues, saying that quality is "a general term applicable to any trait or
characteristic whether individual or generic..." (955). While parts of this
definition seem to fit the concept of quality as we know it (particularly the
discussion of its general nature and its applicability to either general or
specific characteristics), the dictionary seems to have given quality a
definition that is too narrow to adequately encompass all that quality is.
Many companies and individuals have developed their own definitions of
quality. An independent record company (Man's Ruin Records) labels its
products with "Where Quality is Just a Word" (Kozik). While this is obviously
a self-effacing slogan, Man's Ruin uses it to advertise the quality (or lack
thereof) of its products. Kolarik quotes many (industrial and/or business)
"Quality Masters" who also give narrow (specific to an industry) definitions
of the term, such as: "Quality is fitness for use (Juran)...[it] is
conformance to requirements (Crosby)..." (5). While these definitions are
perfectly suited to specific engineering and/or business practices, they fail
to grasp the overall concept of quality.
In _Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance_, Pirsig uses the character
of Phaedrus to define quality in metaphysical terms, despite repeatedly
claiming that quality is indefinable. The narrator recalls that Phaedrus
thought quality is not "independently related with either the subject of the
object [as many classical quality definitions state] but...*only in the
relationship of the two with each other*" and goes on to postulate that the
"Quality" event is the *cause* of the subjects and objects..." (215), not vice
versa. Thus, quality is the beginning and the end, which Phaedrus in his
pursuit of quality equates to the Hindu Bragma and the Buddha in numerous
passages from the work. If quality is truly the beginning and the end, as
Phaedrus claims, then he is equating it to the deity of Western theology as
well as the Oneness of the East: "I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and
the last, the beginning and the end" (Revelation 22:13). Pirsig, possibly
unknowingly, has thus linked Eastern and Western mythology.
Phaedrus also states: "Quality isn't a substance. Neither is it a
method. It's outside of both...It's the goal toward which method is aimed"
(Pirsig 305). Pirsig, through Phaedrus, seems to be saying that quality is
everything and the stimuli to which we react are merely manifestations of
quality. This is a refutation of classical quality definitions tat relate to
specific characteristics of specific products processes, etc. Pirsig's
definition of quality is therefore nondualistic; it is neither subject nor
object, neither substance nor method. Quality exists outside of the trappings
of these terms and, according to Pirsig, is the cause behind the existence of
these terms.
Quality is a word that is attached to many things. The norms of society
often tell us what is "good" and "bad," but long ago someone (or perhaps a
specific group of people or society at large) chose the definitions of these
subjective terms. In many cases, "good" and "bad" are defined in terms of
morals, which is too in-depth a topic to be discussed here. While Mr.
Pirsig's definition of quality as non-subjective makes sense, the experience
of quality (Kolarik 6-7) -- the manifestations of the enigma called quality --
are entirely subjective and are influenced by many factors, including personal
preference. Most definitions of quality, with the exception of Pirsig's
metaphysical definition, are actually definitions of the experience of
quality, "a function of the fulfillment of human needs and expectations"
(Kolarik 6).
(Quality aside, perhaps the most interesting aspect of Pirsig's work is
the Eastern-inspired focus on oneness or unity. Pirsig defines quality in
nondualistic terms, as discussed above. He also provides many other examples
of oneness/unity, such as an in-depth discussion of rhetoric versus the
dialectic (in the context of Socrates and the Sophists). Rhetoric is "writing
or speaking as a means of communication or persuasion" (Merriam-Webster 1004)
while the dialectic is "discussion and reasoning by dialogue as a method of
intellectual investigation" and "tension or opposition between two interacting
forces or elements" (319). Thus, rhetoric (especially in the case of speech)
is more in tune with Pirsig's unity concept than the dialectic, which is
usually a discussion between two people, one seeking to disprove the other's
statements. When Phaedrus argues with the Chairman, it is clear that Phaedrus
(the rhetorician) is victorious over the dialectical Chairman (Pirsig
351-354). The narrator himself is an example of the move to oneness. He is
plagues with fragments of memories from Phaedrus's life until he finally
succumbs to Phaedrus's desire to "come back" and decided to "Be one person
again!" (370). Once this decision is made, it seems that the bulk of the
narrator's troubles will end.)
I have arrived at a definition of quality which borrows aspects from many
of the definitions discussed above. I sought to define quality in
sufficiently broad terms to encompass any instance of quality in any
situation. Therefore quality, to me (borrowing heavily from Pirsig), is the
ultimate cause to every effect. It is omnipresent. Quality manifests itself
as the measurable characteristics of objects (e.g. dimensions) or processes
(e.g. process time), as well as those characteristics that are completely
subjective and cannot be measured (e.g. pleasant smells). Thus, the
experience of quality is the only quantifiable aspect it possesses. As such,
quality is intimately involved in all aspects of our daily lives, yet it is
unknowable; we can merely become familiar with specific aspects of it such as
the experience of quality discussed previously.
Pirsig's _Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance_ provides a unique
insight into philosophy, a discipline that many "technical people" often
neglect to study. The discussion of quality is entirely different from any
that can be found in an engineering textbook. While quality may not be the
Creator of everything, Pirsig's perspective on quality is certainly unlike any
I have seen before. This new (to me) perspective made me reevaluate my own
definition of quality, given above.
-----
-= References =-
"Dialectic." _Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary_. 10th ed. 1993.
"Quality."
"Rhetoric."
Kolarik, William J. _Creating Quality: Concepts, Systems, Strategies, and
Tools_. New York: McGraw-Hill, 1995.
Kozik, Frank. "MAN'S RUIN - The Frank Kozik Resource Center."
http://www.mansruin.com/. (15 March 2000).
Pirsig, Robert M. _Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance_. 1974.
Toronto: Bantam, 1981.
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Issue#109 of "GwD: The American Dream with a Twist -- of Lime" ISSN 1523-1585
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