Summary

Core thesis: All value is subjective. Value does not exist independently—it arises only relative to agents capable of wanting, choosing, sacrificing. Definition: An object has value only if someone would trade for it or sacrifice to obtain it. Without valuer, value is incoherent. Implications: (1) “Intrinsic value” claims (rainforests, art, mathematical truths) are category errors—reverence is located in agents, not artifacts. (2) “Public goods” myth presupposes value without valuation—impossible standard. (3) Free rider problems = coordination issues, not evidence of objective value. Philosophical alignment: Decision theory, praxeology, evolutionary psychology (value emerges from behavior, not imposed externally). Reframing questions: Not “What is it worth?” but “To whom?” and “What are they willing to give for it?” Impact: Restores agency to center of ethics, economics, practical reasoning. Abandoning objective value = asking better questions.

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Notes

  • FOUNDATIONAL POST for entire Batch 3 ethics sequence
  • Establishes subjective value theory as framework premise
  • Referenced extensively throughout subsequent posts
  • 14 posts published on same day (May 31, 2025)—burst output period