1. Money is Built on Trust

From bartering to precious metals, paper money, and digital currencies — money only holds value because people collectively believe in it.

> Core philosophy: Money has no intrinsic value; it is a symbol of collective trust.

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2. Money is Power — and Whoever Controls It, Controls Society

Empires, governments, and central banks have always sought to monopolize the issuance of money, because controlling money means influencing human behavior.

> Philosophy: Monetary systems are political tools — not neutral instruments.

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3. A Shift from Tangible Value to Symbolic Abstraction

Initially, money was tied to real assets (gold, silver), but over time it evolved into paper currency, credit systems, and now fully digitized forms (fiat, CBDCs, stablecoins).

> Philosophy: Money has progressively detached from the physical world — becoming a state-backed abstraction.

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4. The Cycle of Trust — Rise and Fall of Monetary Systems

History shows that all monetary systems follow cycles: acceptance → abuse → devaluation → collapse → replacement.

> Philosophy: No monetary system is permanent — only trust must be maintained or constantly redefined.

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5. Money Reflects Social Values and Power Structures

Money is not just a medium of exchange, but also a mirror of societal values, ethics, and priorities (e.g. carbon credits, social reward tokens).

> Philosophy: Money is not neutral — it reveals something about the civilization that created it.

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