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> its intrinsic worth

There is no such thing as "instrinsic worth".

There's only supply and demand.

Why there is demand for a certain good is a many-colored and complicated affair.

there is intrinsic in the context of where we are as humans, that's why saying that there is intrinsic worth is correct. Humans need to eat, intrinsically. I guess partially it depends on whether the word 'intrinsic' still applies.

Using that definition, air too has intrinsic worth.

But I'm skeptical about the usefulness of this definition.

it's the only useful definition because what else would ever be useful just for its own sake? There has to be a reference point and the moment you have one, it's technically not intrinsic anymore. So we can't do that.

It's not because a word exists that it makes sense to use it.

The (scientific) word æther exists too, but you would only use it in a historical context.

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