Incommensurateness

Incommensurateness refers to the quality or state of being not capable of being measured by a common standard or unit. It describes a lack of comparability or a fundamental difference that prevents accurate assessment or precise comparison. This can apply to values, quantities, qualities, concepts, or experiences. Two things exhibiting incommensurateness possess an inherent incompatibility that makes it difficult or impossible to establish a direct and meaningful relationship, particularly when attempting to quantify or assess relative worth or impact. The concept often arises in discussions about ethics, philosophy, and the arts, highlighting differences that make a straightforward comparison inappropriate or misleading.

Incommensurateness meaning with examples

• The critic argued that the incommensurateness of the two artistic movements made any direct comparison of their aesthetic value futile. Their different goals and approaches rendered them fundamentally distinct, incapable of being judged by the same criteria. Attempting to do so, the critic noted, would be a misunderstanding of the core ideas of either movement.
• The scientists struggled to reconcile the incommensurateness between the experimental results and the theoretical model. The data presented by experiments showed a lack of fit to what the model predicted. It suggested that there may be different underlying principles at play than what scientists predicted.
• The negotiator pointed out the incommensurateness of the two parties' core values prevented any agreement. Their incompatible starting points made it impossible to find a common ground that everyone felt as if their points were accounted for, and the negotiation was ultimately abandoned.
• The experience of deep grief, argued the therapist, possessed an incommensurateness to everyday joy. Trying to apply the same metrics to them would be wrong. It would not be an accurate description of the different intensities of each experience, or the impact it had on the person experiencing it.