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Topic: The Fallacy of "Intrinsic Value" - page 2. (Read 2101 times)

legendary
Activity: 1596
Merit: 1030
Sine secretum non libertas
April 09, 2014, 07:13:57 AM
#4
If something can be used for a purpose other than exchanging it for something else, then it has intrinsic value. In the case of bitcoin, it doesn't have intrinsic value.

This is demonstrably incorrect: It is the intrinsic qualities of bitcoin which give it value.  Those qualities make it better for exchange purposes than any other commodity.  That is intrinsic value, value deriving directly from the intrinsic qualities of the thing.  In this case it happens to coincide with the properties which make it useful for exchange.  Other commodities have relatively poor intrinsic qualities for exchange.  Their intrinsic qualities relate to other forms of utility.  But exchange is very much a real form of utility.
member
Activity: 84
Merit: 10
April 08, 2014, 10:35:51 PM
#3
Quote
If people value something, it has value; if people do not value some­thing, it does not have value; and there is no intrinsic about it.

I think this is an oversimplification... he even mentions in the article himself - gold has value because of its physical properties. It's not valuable only because we give it value. Gold is valuable because it is useful and we need the material for many real-life applications.

If something can be used for a purpose other than exchanging it for something else, then it has intrinsic value. In the case of bitcoin, it doesn't have intrinsic value. I do agree that this doesn't make it less valuable, but it means that its value could potentially fall to zero if people lost trust, whereas this would be impossible with gold or silver because they are needed in various industries. I guess you could still say that gold and silver are valuable only because we give them value, but the reason we give them value is because of their uses as substances, whereas with bitcoin we give value because of trust. Trust can disappear, but intrinsic usefulness can't. I think that this is the most important difference.
hero member
Activity: 784
Merit: 500
April 08, 2014, 07:45:48 PM
#2
I just read the article.   Its good but not complete.

Its true that "value" comes from market demand.   But we are all market participants.   We can't detach ourselves any longer unless we can exist as individuals without need for markets.

The easiest to think about intrinsic value is think separately about coins and metal.

A pre 1982 penny is 95% copper.   The notational value of that coin is 1cent.   However,  the melt value of copper fluctuates w market price.   Therefore instrinsic value of copper pennies are based on market demand of copper.  A post 1982 penny only contain 5% copper so its intrinsic value is less although notational value is same.  This is reason why some people arbitrage pennies

People get confused w gold because we used to have gold coins then gold notes.   But now gold is no longer money but a traded commodity



legendary
Activity: 1372
Merit: 1000
--------------->¿?
April 08, 2014, 06:48:35 PM
#1
Great read on the intrinsic value


http://www.fee.org/the_freeman/detail/the-fallacy-of-intrinsic-value

Quote
If people value something, it has value; if people do not value some­thing, it does not have value; and there is no intrinsic about it.


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