I think this dissonance is because people currently equate the engineering with profit optimization, as were already pretty deep into the capitalism "endgame".

I think this dissonance is because people currently equate the engineering with profit optimization, as were already pretty deep into the capitalism "endgame". But in the first phase of industrialization, the quality went up - exactly because we suddenly had specific measurements and tolerances. The markets however did what they do best: optimize for profit. And the public markets preferred cheap over quality... At least in the consumer space. Objectively quality has significantly improved across the board with every decade. Just not in consumer goods, because of their consistent spending habits So in my mind a craftsman is something akin to an artist. Whereas an engineer provides solutions.