First read Basic Propositions. If you disagree with them you should close this page and go about your normal business.
2. Economic markets arise from the interaction of supply-side and demand-side forces.
2.1: "Demand" can arise from either of man's consciousnesses (1.4.2.1.1).
2.1.1: The primary source of Demand is the spirit’s inherent desire for experiences that influence its consciousness (1.4.1, 1.5.2.2). This is “non-materialistic demand”.
2.1.2: A subsidiary source of Demand is the desires arising in man’s brain as a result of material influences such as instinct, feeling, and imagination (1.5.2.3.1). This is “materialistic demand”.
2.2: The urge to "Supply" can arise from either of man's consciousnesses (1.4.2.1.1).
2.2.1: The primary instigator of Supply is the perception of a non-material influence (1.5.2.3.2) which stimulates the material creative instinct. This gives rise to non-materialistic supply.
2.2.1.1: Non-materialistic supply is the spirit’s effort to translate a personally-perceived non-material reality into the material. It is \*self-expression\*.
\*Art and the artist are the archetypal example, but the principle applies to every sphere of human endeavour. It is an urge to create, which brings about “supply” as a secondary effect.\*
2.2.1.2: It is possible for a material stimulus to prompt a non-materialistic supply urge. In this case a spiritually-aware human being comes across a material opportunity whose configuration is such that it can be used as a channel for spiritual self-expression.
2.2.2: A subsidiary source of supply is the desires arising in man’s brain as a result of material influences such as instinct, feeling, and imagination (**1.5.2.1**). This gives rise to materialistic supply.
2.2.2.1: Materialistic supply may arise as the brain’s reaction to a material stimulus of some kind . In accordance with the material nature of the brain, this reaction would manifest as a desire to gain a material reward (e.g. sustenance, money, power, fame).
2.3: The demand types and the supply types interact to produce 4 product/service archetypes:
Materialistic Products: Materialistic Demand interacting with Materially-Oriented Supply;
Bridge Products: Materialistic Demand interacting with Non-Materialistic Supply;
Non-Materialistic Products: Non-Materialistic Demand interacting with Non-Materialistic Supply;
Proxy Markets: Non-Materialistic Demand interacting with Materially-Oriented Supply.
2.3.1: Materialistic Products are created by the efforts of entrepreneurs who are motivated by material gain and who develop products and services to meet a materialistic demand.
2.3.2: Bridge Products are created by the efforts of entrepreneurs with a non-materialistic world view who seek to express a non-materialistic concept through products and services of interest to a materialist mass market.
2.3.2.1: \*A simplified example of a Bridge Market\*. On the demand side, the need for home cooling may be considered a purely material affair that can be resolved by the purchase of cooling gadgets provided by materialistic entrepreneurs. A non-materialistic entrepreneur might be inspired by a mindset that seeks harmony between man’s built environment and the surrounding natural environment (that has itself evolved as a manifestation of the non-material). He may choose to address the demand by helping homebuilders and architects make design choices that would reduce the need for manufactured cooling devices. Being that the buyer (homebuilder, architect) is of a primarily materialist intent, the entrepreneur would need to “sell” his idea by appealing to materialist considerations (e.g. “better design would reduce the cost of cooling a home by XYZ dollars annually…”) that are not his primary motivation or interest. 2.3.2.2: The Materialistic Market and the Bridge Market share the same demand basis. 2.3.2.2.1: The Materialistic entrepreneur applies the principle that “\*the goal of the business is to satisfy the customer, not to educate him\*”. 2.3.2.2.2: The Non-Materialistic entrepreneur seeks to \*satisfy the spiritual yearnings of the customer in the process of satisfying him materially\*. He seeks to lead the customer to engage with the originating non-material concept in the course of using the product. 2.3.2.3: A Bridge Market can give birth to a Materialistic Market (\*\*1.2.3\*\*). The market is initiated and proven by the deeper insight of a visionary motivated primarily by non-material considerations, and this stimulates the emergence of materially-driven copycats.2.3.3: Non-Materialistic Products are created by the efforts of individuals who seek to express a non-materialistic concept through products and services of interest to similarly non-materialistic individuals.
2.3.3.1: \*Example of a Non-Materialistic Market.\* A fan approached a famous composer after a live performance of one of his works and told him “I’m sure the audience enjoyed it”, whereupon the composer replied “I would much prefer the audience understood it!”. Here the composer was seeking to impart something \*meaningful\*, something non-material, to individuals seeking something more than a pleasurable listening experience. The material rewards (including adulation) occasioned by listening to his music were of secondary importance.2.3.4: Proxy Products occur when entrepreneurs try to meet a primarily non-materialistic need through a materially-motivated approach.
2.3.4.1: \*Example of a Proxy Market\*. Many individuals seek a non-materialistic approach to healthcare. This gives rise to Demand for certain “alternative” forms of therapy. On the other hand, many would-be suppliers of these therapies are motivated by material gain. This gives rise to fraud and to products and services of questionable efficacy…they are \*proxies\* for what the buyers actually want.