OF VALUE. 
lute in each; for otherwise, how could we 
affirm that an equality existed between these 
two values? If the term value denotes merely 
a relation between a and B, would it not be 
absurd to talk of the equality of their values, 
just as it would be absurd in speaking of the 
distance between the sun and the earth, to talk 
of an equality of their. distances from each 
other ? 
In reply to this objection, if we examine the 
real import of our expression, when we affirm 
the value of A to be equal to the value of B, 
we shall find it to mean neither more nor less 
than this, that a will exchange for B. This 
simple proposition contains the whole amount 
of meaning couched under the phrase, and 
it obviously expresses or includes no intrinsic 
or absolute quality in either commodity, but 
merely states a relation in which they stand to 
gach other. 
The phrase, the value of 4 is equal to the 
value of B, is in this view of the subject not 
altogether accurate; that is to say, if we 
speak only of two objects, without reference to