What is above money?

[Yuina]

In an ideal world, love. Not just romantic love, but love of any kind. Unfortunately, we do not live in an ideal world. Money happens to stand above all in the real world it seems.

 

[EvisceratedJester]

The general well-being of others. Money is the root of a lot of problems in our world and is generally treated as something that stands above all else. I do think that things would improve significantly if the well-being of others was prioritized instead. The fact that we've gotten to the point where colourful pieces of paper and polymer that only symbolize value are valued over everything else is just sad.

While eliminating money wouldn't necessarily do much to keep people from finding other ways to try and keep oppressive hierarchical structures in place, especially those who benefit from it (though even some people who don't benefit from them still seem to advocate for them, which is a whole other conversation to have), I do fantasize a lot about a world without money where the well-being of others and our surroundings is instead prioritized. Sadly, the world that dream of is too idealistic to ever come true, but even then we should still be working to try and strive for something better than whatever this shit is.

 

[Forever Sleep]

In the human world, sure- money is what we use to differentiate power. I suppose because we are the current ruling species, money does make the world go round.

It means less to other species and natural forces. A jellyfish wouldn't be able to do much with a lottery win. A new coronavirus couldn't be bribed. The sun doesn't have a coin meter. Money won't make enough difference surely to a massive meteor heading for the earth. If we manage to make enough species extinct, it will start to impact us. I've read that life can't be sustained without insects for example:

Jonas Salk is often quoted as saying "If all the insects were to disappear from the Earth, within fifty years all life on Earth would end. If all human beings disappeared from the Earth, within fifty years all forms of life would flourish."

 

[Meteora]

A jellyfish wouldn't be able to do much with a lottery win.

That's a funny comparison :).

 

[Dr Iron Arc]

Perhaps in the future, money could buy time.

Waiting for the future for that to happen means money is still Time's slave. For now. Although even if eventually time becomes some form of currency, that's only for humans. Money will also only last for as long as civilization does yet time will still March on until the heat death of the universe or however it's going to end. Nothing money can do about that either.

 

[Andro_USYD]

Money is an instrumental good to acquire other things. Intrinsic goods (which are good in themselves) include knowledge, pleasure/happiness, freedom, love, health, & a lot of what everyone else has mentioned. I try not to pursue instrumental goods, and just focus on knowledge, after my bachelor's I'm going to do a Master's and stay at my uni for many more years to come (I hope). In Australia you can get a HECs debt so basically do any course you want and you only have to pay it back after you earn above a certain income. + The government gives me an allowance fortnightly. I'm really thankful to be in this country and my heart goes out to people that are unable to go to college because of financial issues. It feels like true freedom here.

 

[LastFlowers]

People kill for money. They slave away for it. They give up their health, abandon their families. What is above money? God? Love? Freedom?

Any other form of currency or privilege (like beauty, intelligence, etc)…which leads to things like status, power and freedom- or more opportunities to achieve any (or all of them).

Acceptance would be another goal, of which 'love' would reasonably follow.

 

[Pluto]

 

[ijustwishtodie]

The cessation of suffering