Money definitely plays a huge role, no one is denying that. But this whole explanation feels a bit too philosophical BS, ignoring a lot of the messy and illogical ways the real world actually works.

For example, this: "beauty is in the eye of the beholder, therefore value is subjective, therefore money exists only when values are aligned"? Thats a whole lotta "therefore" connecting things that dont necessarily follow. People buy and sell stuff all the time with wildly different values. I might value this cup of coffee for the caffeine, the cafe owner values it for the profit - our values arent aligned, but the money still changes hands.