"Qualitative"

[nq:1]What is a "qualitative difference" between two things? Looking up "qualitative" just gets "having or pertaining to a quality," which is no help to me at all in context.[/nq]
If there's a qualitative difference between two things, it means they're different kinds of things. The opposite is a quantitative difference: the same kind of thing, but in different amounts. Usually the main

[nq:1]What is a "qualitative difference" between two things? Looking up "qualitative" just gets "having or pertaining to a quality," which is no help to me at all in context.[/nq]
It's a difference which, while real, is not directly measurable that is, in order to measure it, a surrogate "quantitative" difference would need to be used.

Cheers, Harvey
Ottawa/Toronto/Edmonton

[nq:1]What is a "qualitative difference" between two things? Looking up "qualitative" just gets "having or pertaining to a quality," which is no help to me at all in context.[/nq]
A qualitative difference is a difference that has not been measured properly. This is to be contrasted with a quantitative difference, which is supported by a measurement or a count..
"John is taller than

[nq:2]What is a "qualitative difference" between two things? Looking up ... which is no help to me at all in context.[/nq]
[nq:1]A qualitative difference is a difference that has not been measured properly. This is to be contrasted with a quantitative difference, which is supported by a measurement or a count..[/nq]
Quibble mode: Shouldn't that be "has not been measured precisely" r

[nq:2]A qualitative difference is a difference that has not been ... difference, which is supported by a measurement or a count..[/nq]
[nq:1]Quibble mode: Shouldn't that be "has not been measured precisely" rather than "properly"? In situations where it's appropriate to leave precision out of the equation, the "propriety" of a lack of measurement isn't really a factor.[/nq]
I understand th

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[nq:1]I understand the quibble, but I'm not sure that your formulation deals properly or precisely with it. It might be ... suggests that worthwhile methods might not have been employed, and a qualitative difference is often not amenable to meaningful measurement.[/nq]
Maybe the problem is that we're trying to define a qualitative difference in terms of what it's not, rathe

[nq:1]Quibble mode: Shouldn't that be "has not been measured precisely" rather than "properly"? In situations where it's appropriate to leave precision out of the equation, the "propriety" of a lack of measurement isn't really a factor.[/nq]
By "properly", I mean that the measurement must be of sufficient precision to establish the difference beyond all reasonable doubt. Thus, I might say:- "T

[nq:1]I understand the quibble, but I'm not sure that your formulation deals properly or precisely with it. It might be ... suggests that worthwhile methods might not have been employed, and a qualitative difference is often not amenable to meaningful measurement.[/nq]
The discussion of measurement at all is an error. Height and width are qualitatively different. They can each be measured, and

[nq:2]What is a "qualitative difference" between two things? Looking up ... which is no help to me at all in context.[/nq]
[nq:1]It's a difference which, while real, is not directly measurable that is, in order to measure it, a surrogate "quantitative" difference would need to be used.[/nq]
This seems unlikely. . . . Classical and mediaeval philosophers spent quite a lot of time try

The inimitable "Don Phillipson" (Email Removed) stated one day
[nq:2]It's a difference which, while real, is not directly measurable ... it, a surrogate "quantitative" difference would need to be used.[/nq]
[nq:1]This seems unlikely. . . . Classical and mediaeval philosophers spent quite a lot of time trying to clarify the differences between quality and quantity. For example flavours (swe