[p2p-research] the abundance of art

[marc fawzi]

Just to continue:

<<

> I hear your argument saying that what is scarce is not necessarily unique.
>
> For example, water is scarce in some parts of the world but it is not
> unique.
>
> However, anything that is unique or rare is by definition scarce.
>
> It's an unidirectional synonym! i.e. synonym in just one direction: if A is
> unique/rare then A is scarce ; if A is scarce then A may or may not be
> unique/rare.
>

>>

When we give an original painting some unique emotional or artistic value
even when we can replicate it down to the atomic scale and distribute it
freely then that is when emotional or psychic attachment to an object
(always physical; does not seem apply to digital) becomes an issue and a
cause for concern that we may never overcome the artificial scarcity problem
because people seem to attach unique value to something (e.g. a famous
painting) that can be copied in exact form down to the atomic scale and
distributed freely.

It's a general logical problem, not specific to paintings or art but
applicable to all physical objects (that people attach unique value to, e.g.
a pair of socks that was worn by Obama on inauguration day may fetch
$10,000.... why? where does that value come from? it comes from the scarce
quality we give to those socks but why do we do that? and don't you think we
created money in such a way that t enforces scarcity BECAUSE we actually
seek scarcity? That's what I'm asking in the broad context.




>
>
>
>
> On Sun, May 3, 2009 at 5:13 AM, <paola.dimaio at gmail.com> wrote:
>
>> very important questions indeed
>>
>> but  scarcity and uniqueness and rarity are not synonms nor are
>> semantically equivalent, imho
>>
>> same as
>>
>>
>> value and price are not synonyms
>>
>> a unique piece of art is of no practical use really
>>  when hungry or thirsty, its trade value that can generate
>> a breadcrumb, and I agree, thats where the whole economic mechanism builds
>> on and distorts the real value of things
>>
>>
>>
>>>
>>> So ... why? Why do we seek scarcity (uniqueness, rarity) ? It's instilled
>>> in us.
>>>
>>> It's not intrinsic to the money. We made the money. And it's not
>>> intrinsic to nature either as natural evolution is taking us to a stateof
>>> existence where everything (physical and digital) can be copied
>>> (identically) and distributed freely.
>>>
>>> So ... why?
>>>
>>> Why do _WE_ enforce (or seek to have) scarcity?
>>>
>>> That is my question.
>>>
>>>
>>
>
>
> --
>
> Marc Fawzi
> Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/people/Marc-Fawzi/605919256
> LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/marcfawzi
>



-- 

Marc Fawzi
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/people/Marc-Fawzi/605919256
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/marcfawzi
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