You (apparently) wanted "philosophical underpinnings" and I gave you some. If you disagree with them, that's fine with me.

I included a bit from an earlier post of mine in this thread, and your response to it, which indicate (to me) that you are interested in unnecessary complication of what should be relatively simple concepts.
My point in initiating this thread (and I did have one) was to point out what I feel is a sort of hypocrisy on the part of quality professionals. We (I include myself) sometimes cast judgment on products in a way that we would vigorously argue against if those judgments were cast on our products. This happens, in part, because of something akin to personal neuroses which have a tendency to rise up and overtake our better judgment at times.
I'm not interested in a rhetorical competition that results in beating the word "quality" beyond recognition. I say again: if we find out what the market wants and devise a way to provide it in an economically feasible way, we know what we need to know about quality.
http://elsmar.com/Forums/showpost.php?p=304772&postcount=33
All,
Quality is a lot more than just fitness for use. It reminds me of another legalistic term. Lawyers like the term "fit for purpose" because you have to go to court to find out what it means!
To make quality manageable Crosby's definition is the most useful. Most people can understand the importance of making sure they understand the requirements, making sure they have the resources and controls (processes) to meet those requirements and then working to meet the requirements.
We have to remind ourselves that not all of the requirements are documented and that customer needs may remain hidden until they are elicited/revealed as requirements.
Designers of products (goods and services) are meant to convert customer needs into product requirements (specifications, drawings or images). Producers are meant to the eliminate waste from and add value with the processes for meeting the product requirements.
By doing this well we fulfill the requirements of people who invest in our ability to anticipate and meet customer requirements better that any other organization.
Quality professionals have become system professionals so the system helps everyone concerned to continually improve our ability to meet ever escalating requirements.
Quality = meeting all customer requirements (including timeliness, affordability and sustainability).
Customer = people receiving the results of my work, person or organization receiving, using, maintaining and recycling product, people affected by unintended by-products, investors, insurers, legislators and regulators of requirements from society.
Quality is much bigger than most people think. And customers are more numerous than most people think.
Quality is not one thing it is the whole thing.
John