Philosophy of Money and Utopias
Waldemar CZAJKOWSKI
Silesian University of Technology, Gliwice , PolandAbstract
Money has played an important role in human history—there is no doubt about it. But whether this role has been mainly positive or negative is a subject for hot debates. Anyway, there are some arguments in favor of both stances. And the problem is not only of academic interest. According to quite popular opinions, we live today in the time of financialization, in a time in which the role of money is too predominant. This very image of our time suggests that the question “What role should money play to-day and tomorrow?” is an urgent question. In the author’s opinion, the profound and responsible answers should be based on philosophy of money. On philosophy (and not only on economics), since they have to be based on both theoretical (descriptive) and axiological (normative) assumptions. On philosophy, since they have to take into account the problem of the possibilities (and limits to them) of reconstructing the social world. On philosophy, since constructing utopias (or models of possible social worlds) which present worlds with various types of money and even without money is regarded as at least instrumental if not necessary for searching answers to the easy-to-be-asked and difficult-to-be-answered question about the future of money.
Keywords:
money, philosophy of money, utopia, utopismSilesian University of Technology, Gliwice
