[MD] the meaning Hobbes's meaning

[Ham Priday]

Craig --

[Ham, previously]:
> Does the written score for a piece of music have any value
> before it is heard?  Did the majesty of the Grand Canyon
> have any value before it was seen?

[Craig]:
>The answers are of course "Yes".  Take a recently discovered
> but unheard score by Beethoven to Christie's auction house &
> watch its value increase bid by bid.
> Or put the Grand Canyon, sight unseen, up for sale.
> I think you'll get some offers.
> How does this affect your thesis?

A nice try from left field.

Monetary (or book) "values" apply to wealth generation, so the real value in 
the examples you've cited is Power.  That wealth is a prime utility in the 
market place is especially apparent during a recession when the money supply 
shrinks.  While I don't deny that having wealth is a great advantage in a 
materialistic society, the exchange value of monetary power doesn't affect 
my understanding of esthetic or moral values, which was the context of this 
discussion.

A newly discovered Beethoven score is priced as a commodity, rather than for 
its musical value  Also, I suspect that the U.S. National Park Service who 
leased property rights to the Hualapai Indians would have strong objections 
to my putting the Grand Canyon up for sale.  (If you don't believe that, I 
can give you a good price on a bridge in Brooklyn.)

Thanks for the diversion, Craig.
Ham