Why does the Human race use curency?

[JayOwnAss]

We should be careful not to mix up topics here. The question asked here is actually two questions.

1. How comes we use currency ?

Answer: Because it lowers several kinds of transaction-costs, as described by many others. The "chicken for playstation" - example is a good one I think.

2. What if anything was free and done by charity workers

Answer: It would be a better world. But it would only work, if everbody would contribute to the whole thing as best as he could, and if the people with superior personal resources, for example the ones who are smarter or stronger than others would not want compensation for their higher contribution-potential. And these two conditions are not likely to be fullfilled in the near future.

I hope I didn't make that many mistakes, because I am no native speaker. Feel free to correct me if I'm wrong

 

[MoganFreeman]

Because, otherwise, Starcraft II would cost, like, twenty loves of bread.

 

[Willowcat362]

To those of you who foolishly state the obvious that systems built around the economic system would not work in a non-economic system and use THAT to validate their bias against any kind of system that makes everyone rich, I say this. Schools, government, and any other institution that works AROUND the principle of money(i.e. because organizations make things CHEAPER for everyone) are on principal made to deal with human problems in the most COST-EFFICIENT way to BENEFIT the most possible. In a system where there is no money, why would you even NEED teachers? if a man can do something he or she enjoys, or needs done and has sufficient respect for(teachers are a miscellaneous job that neither produces, nor innovates society as a whole) then yes, it would work. School systems, or at the very least "Modern" free or even private school systems are built around one thing. making children the equivalent of a base-line standard of adults, in the hopes that they either do their jobs better, make something of themselves and improve society as a whole, and shorten the length of job training in the real world. does an engineer learn everything he needs to know in K-12? nope. does he even learn all of it in college? not unless he gets an internship. People learn best ON THE JOB, DOING THE JOB. If the ability to learn were free, would you need to know the intricacies of English when working with iron? not necessarily, but you could ALWAYS learn it later if needed. school as we know it, and many of its systems, were designed around the industrial revolution, at a time when most didn't think it was feasible to do so anyways.

 

[hagar2]

i have been telling this to people for years. finally someone gets it!

 

[thylasos]

We use currency due to the level of complexity of human society and the neccessity of division of labour within any community larger than a hamlet; currency puts everyone on a level playing field in terms of having wealth which is objectively measurable.

 

[Danman1]

It's how we make each other do things. It's a glorious system when it's used the right way.

 

[TeeBs]

Thats probably the most extreme form of communism ive ever seen.

It wouldn't work thats why we don't do it, whats the point of working if you get nothing for it.

"Well it could be a gift based society, your not valued by how much you have but by how much you contribute."

*Note to self: Gift Based Society would be a decent name for a rook band.*

Sounds like a crappy punk rock christmas album.

"I misspelled rock, I should be ashamed."

Its ok your only human

"That comment fills me with joy and warmth."
"Wait it reminds me of the holidays, now I hate it."
"Tell me something very hurtful to my self of steam."

Humans caused the holocaust.

 

[lacktheknack]

How come we use currency, what if everything was free and done by charity workers?

I hope you don't think this is a good question.

 

[Emperor Inferno]

Simple answer: it's human nature.

To expand upon the simple answer: as long as recorded history goes back, people have always required getting something in return for things like food, products, goods, services, that kind of thing. Humanity has evolved slightly, and by that in this context I mean that a lot of people are a lot more giving, but the system of trade, especially the modern currency system, has been around so long and is so involved in everything that doing away with it is impossible now. It just simply can't happen.

 

[Nouw]

Because it is a way of people working to earn something. Money is that one thing, the world will also quickly deteriorate into anarchy if money didn't exist.

I'll tell you what, OP. Why don't you come to my house every morning and make me breakfast? I won't pay you anything for your time or trouble, but you'd really be helping me out.

Not interested? Then maybe you see the flaw in your logic.

Basically this.

 

[Icehearted]

No one would do anything.

There are tribes in many countries over several continents that might differ with that idea.

Frankly, western society is greed driven (others as well, but by god we popularized the hell out of it!). Nothing wrong with wealth I suppose, it's that we're encouraged to accumulate it on the backs of others (edit: at all costs or by any means necessary) that seems to have made a mess of things.

 

[XJ-0461]

Because within one country it acts as a universally recognized and valued means to exchange goods and services?

Money has a set value to it(ish) that people can't argue with, and this is what makes purchases that much easier. If we all had to trade stuff for voluteer work or whatever goods you want, you'd have to spend ages setting up the value of one chicken against a bag of wheat, for example.

 

[ChimpanzeeThat]

I study economics as part of my course and could give a really thought-provoking answer. I can't be bothered though. Merry Christmas everyone.

 

[Fursnake]

The barter system would not work and the idea of everyone earning their keep by working will never, ever happen. Not in the society/cultures of the modern era anyhow.

 

[Shivarage]

We use currency due to the level of complexity of human society and the neccessity of division of labour within any community larger than a hamlet; currency puts everyone on a level playing field in terms of having wealth which is objectively measurable.

Level playing field my arse, if you aren't born rich but you have an amazing idea, you can't do anything without money to fund your idea, of course if you are indeed born rich then the world is yours without any effort...

 

[My name is Fiction]

Thats probably the most extreme form of communism ive ever seen.

It wouldn't work thats why we don't do it, whats the point of working if you get nothing for it.

"Well it could be a gift based society, your not valued by how much you have but by how much you contribute."

*Note to self: Gift Based Society would be a decent name for a rook band.*

Sounds like a crappy punk rock christmas album.

"I misspelled rock, I should be ashamed."

Its ok your only human

"That comment fills me with joy and warmth."
"Wait it reminds me of the holidays, now I hate it."
"Tell me something very hurtful to my self of steam."

Humans caused the holocaust.

*speaks in a pragmatic voice*
"Oh what fools us mortals be..."
"Thanks!"

 

[Kryzantine]

We use currency due to the level of complexity of human society and the neccessity of division of labour within any community larger than a hamlet; currency puts everyone on a level playing field in terms of having wealth which is objectively measurable.

Level playing field my arse, if you aren't born rich but you have an amazing idea, you can't do anything without money to fund your idea, of course if you are indeed born rich then the world is yours without any effort...

If you have a truly amazing idea, it proves to have enough merit to invest in and you present it well to a company, it will be funded. Corporations absolutely love innovation that can put them ahead in the market, they love to bring you on to focus that particular field and they will put a lot of money into it. Even if it ultimately doesn't work out, you will have enough money then to put it on the market yourself.

While I thought that this was the exception, not the rule, I have seen multiple success stories personally. The misconception stems from the vagueness of "amazing idea".

Oh, currency? It's a necessity in a specialized world. Imagine you're making clothing irons and you want new shoes. Do you want a traditional barter system, where you'd have to find a shoemaker in need of clothing irons? Or would you rather have currency, where you sell your clothing irons to anyone who needs them for money, then use that money to buy your shoes?

Don't even get started on perishable foods, too.

 

[mattttherman3]

Thats probably the most extreme form of communism ive ever seen.

It wouldn't work thats why we don't do it, whats the point of working if you get nothing for it.

it would work if we had really fast space travel, that way we could work to better ourselves instead of the aquisition of wealth