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2.1.19. Absence of Inherent Nature or Causal Order.

D.1. Absence of Inherent Nature or Causal Order: From definition of Goods, and Causal Order of Goods it follows that neither any object or action has good characters which are inherent, nor any good or action has an inherent placement on causal order of goods. 

E.1. A good is defined by a need, useful properties serving that need, knowledge and control of these properties for our purpose. Accordingly, it follows that anything becomes a good, or acquires good characters, contingent upon presence of our need, our knowledge and our control in addition to it having such properties as to gratify our needs. Absent any one of these conditions and it becomes a Non-Good. There are more detailed examples of this subjective nature in Goods, and Non-Good. 

E.2. Likewise, for the same reasons we cannot imagine a good to always occupy a certain position in Causal Order of Goods. For instance, while water is the first order good when gratifying thirst, but it is second order good when boiling an egg. Or perhaps, it is still an order higher when washing vegetables for cooking, and the highest order if we consider its role in agriculture along with seeds, fertilizers, and labour of farmer etc. 

E.3. From these two observations we can infer that there is never anything inherent in Goods, be it their good character or be it their order in the Causal Order of Goods. And this is critically important for Economics - nothing has a value unless it serves an end, and only for so long as it serves an end, and nothing serves us always directly or always indirectly. Put simply, everything in an Economy is subjective - it is subject to conditions of our needs, our knowledge, our control, and of its properties which can serve our needs. 

E.4. Read Also The Universality of Relativity by Robbins. 


Reference: Menger, Carl (2004). Principles of Economics, Online edition, The Mises Institute, 2004. (Chapter 01 Section 1 and B of Section 3)