
Quality
FREE Catholic Classes
(Greek poistes -- Plato, Aristotle -- poion ; Latin qualitas, quale .)
Quality is used, first , in an extended sense, as whatever can be attributed to the subject of discourse; and second , in its exact signification, as that category which is distinguished from the nine others enumerated by Aristotle. In the present article the word is treated in its stricter sense. The eighth chapter of the "Categories" treats of quality, as distinct from substance and the other predicaments. It is described, however, in the opening words of the sixth chapter of the same book as that on account of which we say that anything is such or such -- poioteta de lego, kath en poioi tines [einai] legontai . It is thus the accidental form which determines the subject to a special mode of being. It is the reply to the question Qualis sit res? , as St. Thomas Aquinas remarks; and is the correlative to Talis (as Quantus to Tantus ), as is pointed out by James Mill in his "Analysis". As the notion is a simple one, it is not possible strictly to define it; for, to do this, it would be necessary to split it up into genus and differentia -- an impossibility where the simplest concepts are concerned. It is itself not a real genus, since many particular things, not generically identical can be subjects of the same predicate, analogically employed. Quality is the category according to which objects are said to be like or unlike; and, in view of the tendency introduced into modern science by the mechanist theories of Descartes, and fostered by the postulate of the transformation of energy, it is of importance that the qualitative should be distinguished from the quantitative differences of objects (cf. QUANTITY). Aristotle's classification of the heads of discourse in the "Categories" is a logical one, in which the attributes are considered as possible predicates of a subject. But they are further understood metaphysically; and, in this sense, quality is one or other of the four modes in which substance is determined to being talis or talis , i.e. such or such. Considered thus, it is an accidental determination (cf. FORM).
The four divisions of quality are:
To all our readers,
Please don't scroll past this. We interrupt your reading to humbly ask you to defend Catholic Online School's independence. 98% of our readers don't give; they look the other way. If you are an exceptional reader who has already donated, we sincerely thank you. If you donate just $10.00, or whatever you can, Catholic Online School could keep thriving for years. Most people donate because Catholic Online School is useful. If Catholic Online School has given you $10.00 worth of knowledge this year, take a minute to donate. Show the world that access to Catholic education matters to you. Thank you.Help Now >
FREE Catholic Classes Pick a class, you can learn anything
Join the Movement
When you sign up below, you don't just join an email list - you're joining an entire movement for Free world class Catholic education.
-
-
Mysteries of the Rosary
-
Litany of the Blessed Virgin Mary
-
Bible
-
Saint of the Day for Friday, July 1st, 2022
-
The Apostles' Creed
-
Unfailing Prayer to St. Anthony
-
St. Junipero Serra
-
St. Bernardino Realino
-
Saints & Angels
-
The Angelus
What does ranching have to do with Catholic education?
-
Montana Ranch and Cattle: Sustainable ranching is what we do
-
Is there anything we can do to get you to support FREE Catholic education?
-
Pope Francis' World Meeting of Families' Message
-
On the Feast of the Immaculate Heart of Mary: Mary and the Early Fathers
Daily Catholic
Daily Readings for Saturday, July 02, 2022
St. Bernardino Realino: Saint of the Day for Saturday, July 02, 2022
Prayer for Employment: Prayer of the Day for Saturday, July 02, 2022
- Daily Readings for Friday, July 01, 2022
- St. Junipero Serra: Saint of the Day for Friday, July 01, 2022
- Prayer of the Chalice: Prayer of the Day for Friday, July 01, 2022
Copyright 2021 Catholic Online. All materials contained on this site, whether written, audible or visual are the exclusive property of Catholic Online and are protected under U.S. and International copyright laws, © Copyright 2021 Catholic Online. Any unauthorized use, without prior written consent of Catholic Online is strictly forbidden and prohibited.
Catholic Online is a Project of Your Catholic Voice Foundation, a Not-for-Profit Corporation. Your Catholic Voice Foundation has been granted a recognition of tax exemption under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. Federal Tax Identification Number: 81-0596847. Your gift is tax-deductible as allowed by law.