Philosophy Now Forum

Is Money the Root of All Evil?

The Love of Money is the Root of All Evil is a much used phrase today. Is money really evil or is it a necessary tool?

Generally, when you hear people discuss money they mostly say it is evil and give examples of how it changed a person's character. Yet, most people want it and most people will do anything to get it.

Is money inherently evil or is it a virtue?

As a child where did you first learn about money. Did you have an allowance? Did your parent/parents give you the money and what would happen when the money ran out.

What meaning does money have and what does it represent for you. Is it important for your sense of personal power, like esteem, prestige or security. Was this meaning passed onto you from your family.

Are you hesitant in borrowing money or are you a person who borrows and doesn't think it too important to pay back that debt. If so, why not.

What does financial security mean for you? or is it unimpotant.

Money, or the things that money can buy are not evil, in and of themselves, it is the want of these things that is evil. When your life is ruled by this want, then it can turn to evil. Money and the things money can buy are just the means to an end, to use them to do good or to do bad. The choice is up to the individual, but evil is within the person, not outside.

It would be poignant to consider what money actually '''IS'''

Does anyone here with all their degrees in philosophicalsnuffluffucousness have any concept as to what money actually is?

attofishpi wrote:It would be poignant to consider what money actually '''IS'''

Does anyone here with all their degrees in philosophicalsnuffluffucousness have any concept as to what money actually is?

A small piece of blue plastic?

vegetariantaxidermy wrote:

attofishpi wrote:It would be poignant to consider what money actually '''IS'''

Does anyone here with all their degrees in philosophicalsnuffluffucousness have any concept as to what money actually is?

A small piece of blue plastic?

Plastic? Adjective.
1. used of the imagination; "material...transformed by the plastic power of the imagination"

On track but not the answer im looking for.

Money is currency, flow; like the wind no-one actually owns it. The essense of illusion is that you can own the money, that's where the problem lies for some people.

Bernard wrote:

attofishpi wrote:It would be poignant to consider what money actually '''IS'''

Does anyone here with all their degrees in philosophicalsnuffluffucousness have any concept as to what money actually is?

Money is currency, flow; like the wind no-one actually owns it. The essense of illusion is that you can own the money, that's where the problem lies for some people.

Ooooo so close.

Any concrete manifestation of the responsibility inherent to trade, inclusive of concrete ideas...?

Money is an arbitrary medium of exchange, by assigning value to otherwise valueless tokens.

Money is always trying to resolve the contradiction between being a measure of value and a medium of circulation.

Oddly a post, naming names and using abusive language has been deleted.
I was going to point out that although the poster asserted "money is a means, and NOT an end", he gave a story which demonstrated that for some money is indeed an end.

reasonvemotion wrote:Money is always trying to resolve the contradiction between being a measure of value and a medium of circulation.

It's sort of both. Monetarists try to view it as just another type of commodity! Which misconception is possibly why monetarism is so out of favour these days.
Money is an attempt at an objective standard of value, used against the acquisition value of all products offered for sale.
The money supply thus is thought to represent the collective value of goods in circulation.
However, as people can hoard money, promise it whether or not they have it; promise it in the future and pretend it in the present, this has a disruptive effect on the values of all goods.
When there is a mass effort to liquidate; collect; spend money that does not actually exist the result is economic collapse as the true value of money becomes apparent. All that cash that has been put into stocks, all the money that is borrowed to buy shares that were supposed to grow, now stands naked.
That's where we are now.
It's where we were in 1930, and it's where we will be again unless someone has the intelligence and courage to stand up to the financiers.
What Madoff did illegally the money markets did legally.

chaz wyman wrote:

reasonvemotion wrote:Money is always trying to resolve the contradiction between being a measure of value and a medium of circulation.

It's sort of both. Monetarists try to view it as just another type of commodity! Which misconception is possibly why monetarism is so out of favour these days.
Money is an attempt at an objective standard of value, used against the acquisition value of all products offered for sale.
The money supply thus is thought to represent the collective value of goods in circulation.
However, as people can hoard money, promise it whether or not they have it; promise it in the future and pretend it in the present, this has a disruptive effect on the values of all goods.
When there is a mass effort to liquidate; collect; spend money that does not actually exist the result is economic collapse as the true value of money becomes apparent. All that cash that has been put into stocks, all the money that is borrowed to buy shares that were supposed to grow, now stands naked.
That's where we are now.
It's where we were in 1930, and it's where we will be again unless someone has the intelligence and courage to stand up to the financiers.
What Madoff did illegally the money markets did legally.

...

What is money? What is time?