Shelling Out -- The Origins of Money

Re:Shelling Out -- The Origins of Money by nonzero on Monday May 30, 2011 @03:21AM (#2598756)

Evolutionary psychology strikes me as myth-making, not in the pejorative sense but in that it forms an understandable, cohesive, and easily retold story around a bunch of observations. It's ironic that the article labels the rationale primitive societies give for the importance of their media of exchange as "mythologies that served more as proximate motivators of behavior than as theories of ultimate purpose or origin."

Couldn't we say the same thing about what people think of money today? From "money is the root of evil" to our various economic theories, we are just telling ourselves stories that, as time passes, become more comprehensive (explains earlier theories and more). If our economic theories are myths, which I believe they are, then how should we mold the narrative to inspire us toward more cooperation and less starvation and violence?

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Re:Shelling Out -- The Origins of Money by spodek on Monday May 30, 2011 @12:48PM (#2599810)

"Evolutionary psychology strikes me as myth-making, not in the pejorative sense but in that it forms an understandable, cohesive, and easily retold story around a bunch of observations."

Perhaps it may serve that purpose, but a major difference is that evolutionary psychology aims to be falsifiable, not based on what an authority says, subject to peer review, etc.

Money didn't exist and now it does. Personally, I find a scientific basis to understanding what happened the most useful foundation to understanding it today.

Sure, I have my shorthand mental models that aren't scientific that serve me sometimes -- I do like old quotes like "money is the root of evil" and Pink Floyd songs -- but I value honing in on one story and trying for accuracy with it.

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Re:Shelling Out -- The Origins of Money by spodek on Monday May 30, 2011 @12:50PM (#2599818)

Speaking of accuracy in stories, I just looked up "money is the root of evil" and it turns out it's a popular misquotation.

According do http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/List_of_misquotations, it's a biblical misquote. The original states it's the love of money that is a problem:

In context: "For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows." (1 Timothy 6:10) KJV (The King James Bible)

Interesting irony on accuracy and change of meaning.

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Re:Shelling Out -- The Origins of Money by nonzero on Monday May 30, 2011 @09:23PM (#2600939)

I don't know if you've read the essay, but I couldn't figure out how the author's theory of "ultimate purpose" of money could be falsified. In fact, how is any description of subjective motivation falsifiable? Maybe neuroscience can elaborate on one facet, but in the field of inner human experience, I doubt we'll come up with anything close to what constitutes a theory in the hard sciences.

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