The Paradox of Value: Atoms, Capital, and the Human Condition

Abstract This paper examines the tension between the value-neutral laws of physics and the value-laden structures of modern political economy. By contrasting the intrinsic material neutrality of atoms with the high-capital valuation of manufactured commodities, the study analyzes how monetary systems mediate access to material arrangements necessary for survival and flourishing. Drawing from philosophy, political economy, and systems theory, the paper argues that while capital functions as a gatekeeping mechanism for material resources, existential worth is an emergent property that cannot be reduced to monetary valuation. Through historical comparison and contemporary examples, the analysis situates human alienation within complex global production systems and proposes non-monetized dimensions of value as a rational response to an otherwise indifferent universe.