The Place of Science in Modern Civilisation, and Other EssaysVeblen, Thorstein
Philosophy
The Place of Science in Modern Civilisation, and Other Essays
Veblen, Thorstein
Economics; Science
This creation of tangible wealth out of intangible assets is seen
perhaps at its neatest in the enhancement of land values by the
endeavors of interested parties. Real estate is, of course, a tangible
asset of the most authentic tangibility, and it is an asset to the
amount of its value, which is determined, say, by the figures at which
the real estate in question is currently bought and sold. This is the
current value of the real estate, and therefore its current actual
magnitude as a tangible asset. The value of the real estate might also
be computed by capitalising its rental value; but, where the current
market value does not coincide with the capitalised rental value, the
former must, according to business conceptions, be accepted as the
actual value. In many parts of this country, perhaps in most, but
particularly in the Western States and in the neighborhood of
flourishing towns, these two methods of rating the pecuniary magnitude
of real estate will habitually not coincide. Due allowance, often very
considerable, being made, the capitalised rental value of the land may
be taken as measuring its current serviceability as an item of material
equipment; while the amount by which the market value of the land
exceeds its capitalised rental value may be taken as the product, the
tangible residue, of an intangible asset of the nature of good-will,
turned to account, or "productively employed," in behalf of this parcel
of land.[8]
Some of the lands of California may be taken as a very good, though
perhaps not an extreme, example of such a creation of real estate by
spiritual instrumentalities. It is probably well within the mark to say
that some of these lands owe not more than one-half their current market
value to their current serviceability as an instrument of production or
use. The excess may be attributable to illusions touching the chances of
future sale, to anticipation of a prospective enhanced usefulness, and
the like; but all these are immaterial factors, of the nature of
good-will. Like other assets, these lands are capitalised on the basis
of the anticipated income from them, part of which income is anticipated
from profitable sales to persons who, it is hoped, will be persuaded to
take a very sanguine view of the land situation, while part of it may be
due to over-sanguine anticipations of usefulness generated by the
advertising matter and the efforts of the land agents directed to what
is called "developing the country."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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