Why does the Human race use curency?

[Canadamus Prime]

My former boss was telling me one time that currency has it's origins back in the time when the feudal lords would literally own your ass (if you were a peasant). Not only that, but apparently the lords would actually demand tributes in blood from the peasants. This, of course, proved to be problematic, so instead it was arranged that the peasants would give the lord a percentage of the goods they produce (since most of them were farmers).

 

[Glaive_21842]

Humans rarely do anything without incentive, greed is one such incentive, why don't we forgo this concept? Because evolution tells us that we should get something for doing something

No, society tells us that we should get something for doing something. Since greed is simply one basic aspect of human nature, I've always wondered why we couldn't base a society on another basic basic aspect of human nature, such as self improvement or the like. Could work just as well for all we know. Who knows, it may even work better...or it might not work at all, but we'll never know if we pessimistically shrug it off.

 

[DemonicVixen]

I see currency as being nothing but paper, metal and numbers. Here is another thought for you.

What if we just used "points" instead of money. Wages were paid using "points" on a special card. The government assigns everyone a certain amount of starting points and then thats it. A bank uses points technically. They assign numbers onto your cash card, and the paper and metal is recycled to be used again by other people...

Ever noticed that we dont need paper and money? Ever noticed that if we didnt THINK we did, countries wouldnt be in debt?

I have, and i've thought it through so carefully that i KNOW it could work. Sadly, i'm not the Queen, nor parliment

 

[yamitami]

Clearly you've never read Animal Farm.

 

[DJROC]

I think money should stick around for at least a while longer.

I'm down for everything being run as a non-profit, though.

 

[yamitami]

My former boss was telling me one time that currency has it's origins back in the time when the feudal lords would literally own your ass (if you were a peasant). Not only that, but apparently the lords would actually demand tributes in blood from the peasants. This, of course, proved to be problematic, so instead it was arranged that the peasants would give the lord a percentage of the goods they produce (since most of them were farmers).

.....No, money was around long before feudal Europe. I'd have to check to be sure but I'm pretty sure it pre-dates Mesopotamia. The reason why currency came into play is because trading tokens was a lot easier than trading goods. Ever have to do one of those extended fetch quests where the stonemason wants a new hammer which you can get from the blacksmith but he wants a chicken, which you don't have, and then you find out the baker has a chicken he's trading but he wants a specific kind of herb... on and on. That was daily commerce before coins.

 

[Addendum_Forthcoming]

I see currency as being nothing but paper, metal and numbers. Here is another thought for you.

What if we just used "points" instead of money. Wages were paid using "points" on a special card. The government assigns everyone a certain amount of starting points and then thats it. A bank uses points technically. They assign numbers onto your cash card, and the paper and metal is recycled to be used again by other people...

Ever noticed that we dont need paper and money? Ever noticed that if we didnt THINK we did, countries wouldnt be in debt?

I have, and i've thought it through so carefully that i KNOW it could work. Sadly, i'm not the Queen, nor parliment

No, indebted nations would have negative points ... objects have value on the basis of supply and demand. If you were going to just use 'points' without taking into account applicable changes in value of those points, or their translation into a possible gold standard then all you end up with is a clusterfucked economic model.

No nation stands alone on it's use of currency, there are nations that don't use their currency at all due to it's inability to be traded (and as such lose it's applicable fungibility that all currencies have in varying degrees).

Unless you're ordering all other nations to use this 'points system' that you speak of, they will, and rightfully so, tell you to STFU and give up trading with you as your 'points' won't mean shit to suppliers.

The only time your 'points' will ever matter is if they are directly able to be transferred into precious metals. All yuou'd end up doing is reducing trade, making it harder to trade, and imprison your own people within your borders because they will lack the ability to move and trade without impediment.

If that were the case, don't be surprised when a rebel stuck a knife in your back and repealed your laws.

The only way you'd get that system to work is if you made 'points' the new currency, 1 point = 1 cent of the former USD/GBP/etcd of wherever you are. But even then all you're doing is putting a new coat of paint on something and it costing more money then is worth doing.

 

[Glaive_21842]

I see currency as being nothing but paper, metal and numbers. Here is another thought for you.

What if we just used "points" instead of money. Wages were paid using "points" on a special card. The government assigns everyone a certain amount of starting points and then thats it. A bank uses points technically. They assign numbers onto your cash card, and the paper and metal is recycled to be used again by other people...

Ever noticed that we dont need paper and money? Ever noticed that if we didnt THINK we did, countries wouldnt be in debt?

I have, and i've thought it through so carefully that i KNOW it could work. Sadly, i'm not the Queen, nor parliment

Isn't that just credit? We already have this. When i get paid, i can have my employer forward my "check" straight to the bank, no paperwork necessary. I can then pay for goods using a check card, once again removing the need for any form of paper transaction. I've just received and spent money, which can be given and spent again in the same way, that never existed physically. exactly the same as your "points" approach, except the "points" are called "dollars" or "Euros" or whatever.

 

[GodofCider]

How come we use currency, what if everything was free and done by charity workers?

Because we do not live within a post-scarcity era.

 

[Antari]

How come we use currency, what if everything was free and done by charity workers?

You need further filtering.

Spoiler

 

[Red Pawn]

I've been waiting for an opportunity to post this. And guess what? You win! Now go hit yourself over the head with something.

 

[Lilani]

Because using a duck as a down payment for a loan of three cows and six goats is quite a hassle in these modern times.

Which, for some reason, makes me think of this Muppets sketch (you'll want to skip to 3:37)

 

[Sporky111]

Imagine telling everyone in the world that suddenly everything was free and you working didn't get you anything. Most people would sit at home all day and do what they want, then go out and take anything they need or want or don't think their neighbour deserves.

Also, see this:

 

[Eumersian]

Humans always want things in return. There aren't enough charitable people out there to want to do things for free. That's why people began to barter or whatever. Somebody had more of one thing than they needed, and found somebody who wanted some of what they had. They would offer it to somebody else, if that person could provide them with something that they didn't have in return. Money developed with the growth of societies. As more and more things were moving around in trade, people began to need a standardized unit. With standardized trade units, i.e. currency, trade could be performed with more precision since currency was a standard unit of measurement for an items worth to another person. Notice how people always instinctively know how currency works.

Note: I made all of this up. I have no idea if it's true. The history of the use of currency is hazy. This is just my theory.

 

[manaman]

It lets you build the marketplace, set up trade routes and leads to Code of Laws.

That is the greatest response to this question I think anyone could have managed.

 

[Lokithrsourcerer]

Money isn't a reward system as some of you have suggested it was a mechanic created to make trade easier instead of "I want on of your bacon sandwiches, I'll fix your roof in return"
u just get paid to fix the roof and then buy your sandwich with the money.

The problem essentially though is not with money itself or with "human greed" as many people suggest
it is the monetary and credit system especially used in the west and even more so in USA. where lots of "imaginary" cash is used which d evaluates currency at an exponential rate.

There is an alternative, to both capitalism and communism, but it would only work if the whole world adopts it at once and the required technology is probably not quite there yet

more info:

http://www.zeitgeistaddendum.com/ [http://www.zeitgeistaddendum.com/]
http://www.thevenusproject.com/ [http://www.thevenusproject.com/]

 

[DemonicVixen]

-snip-

Isn't that just credit? We already have this. When i get paid, i can have my employer forward my "check" straight to the bank, no paperwork necessary. I can then pay for goods using a check card, once again removing the need for any form of paper transaction. I've just received and spent money, which can be given and spent again in the same way, that never existed physically. exactly the same as your "points" approach, except the "points" are called "dollars" or "Euros" or whatever.

Yeah basically, except you check does exist physically. Your boss has the paper version, and he/she gives you the "points" version, then eventually the physical version goes to the bank or wherever to be "recycled" back to customers, the banks, wages etc etc.

 

[Dimensional Vortex]

How come we use currency, what if everything was free and done by charity workers?

Than everyone would be forced to become a charity worker. The problem with everyone being a charity worker (it was explained to me once) is that people will only do the jobs they want to do, say 60% of the population want to become a police officer than the other 40% do what they want, what person will be digging the graves? what person will be cleaning the schools? no one will be doing those jobs because they can do other jobs that they want.

 

[Antari]

How come we use currency, what if everything was free and done by charity workers?

Than everyone would be forced to become a charity worker. The problem with everyone being a charity worker (it was explained to me once) is that people will only do the jobs they want to do, say 60% of the population want to become a police officer than the other 40% do what they want, what person will be digging the graves? what person will be cleaning the schools? no one will be doing those jobs because they can do other jobs that they want.

Within the current plan, I'd agree. But there are other ways.

 

[Dimensional Vortex]

How come we use currency, what if everything was free and done by charity workers?

Than everyone would be forced to become a charity worker. The problem with everyone being a charity worker (it was explained to me once) is that people will only do the jobs they want to do, say 60% of the population want to become a police officer than the other 40% do what they want, what person will be digging the graves? what person will be cleaning the schools? no one will be doing those jobs because they can do other jobs that they want.

Within the current plan, I'd agree. But there are other ways.

What do you mean? There are other ways instead of having everyone be a charity worker? Please elaborate on what you said.