The Economy of Permanence: A Quest for a Social Order Based on Non-violence (स्थायी अर्थतन्त्र)

Economy of Permanence
Here we have given illustrations of many standards of values based on different
considerations other than the material instrinsic value, like that of a gold-ring
set with diamonds, exhibited for sale in the show case of a merchant. A picture
by notable artist does not owe its value to the cost of materials- canvass and
paint—which have gone into the making of it. Even an old, worn out shoe that
belonged to a father or mother may be treasured by a fond son or daughter.
This may not represent any marketable value but still it has a value all its own
to the particular person.
In individual or self-centred values there may be no uniformity of intensity with
which a thing may be desired. The value of a thing may differ between persons.
Even a universal article, standardized like money, will not necessarily represent
equality in satisfaction. A rupee in the hands of a farmer may represent one
day's food for his family. The same rupee, with a clerk in a city, may be the
satisfaction of seeing a cinema show. While in the hands of a richman it may
only mean a tip to a waiter or to a taxi driver. From this it may be inferred that
the mere transfer of a rupee from a rich man to a farmer or poorer person will
of itself enhance the satisfaction it is capable of affording. And conversely, a
rupee taken from a poor man and passed on to a richer man reduces the
satisfaction it can give.
Even in the hands of the same individual a thing does not always represent the
same value. A boy may have seven jilabis. Each jilabi may be equal in weight
and contents, yet the satisfaction one jilabi will bring will not be the same as
another. He will eat the first jilabi with much relish. The next one or two he
will still enjoy. Then with each additional jilabi eaten, the desire for more will
diminish until it reaches a point where it will be nauseating to think of having
any more. So the value of a jilabi to the boy goes on decreasing as the number
consumed increases. This is the same phenomenon we noticed with the rich
man's rupee. The more he has the less value a unit will represent.
Now, when a boy has eaten say 6 jilabi and his desire for more has decreased
while his thirst for water has increased, he would gladly swop the seventh jilabi
for a glass of water with another boy who may have a profit of it. That glass of
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