Whereas the intrinsic domain challenges the market's central concept of exchange, it is the darling of humanist thought. The humanist devotion to the intrinsic flows from a philosophy of individualism and freedom that prizes self-determination, autonomy, the dignity of man. This philosophy embraces an approach to life that emphasizes the value of things in themselves, of being, as contrasted to doing, of appreciation as contrasted to performance. In this approach it is right that individuals should be guided more by self-rewards than external rewards that make them dependent on their environments. As in aesthetics and ethics and the contemplative religions, a special value is placed on the intrinsic, without reference to costs, causes, or consequences.

But in a social system, it is impossible to value things in themselves and to avoid dependence on the environment; everything has costs, causes, and consequences both for the self and the society. From a social scientific approach the idea of the intrinsic seems ghostly – a quality, substance, or state that is valued in itself without reference to its effects on the individual or society. In the previous chapter we sought to explain how this antieconomic quality could be accounted for; here we examine its effects or consequences.

The first of these sets of probable consequences is wholly benign; it is amazing to see the positive correlates (and probable consequences) of intrinsic work enjoyment. And as we move on to question its effects on learning and to the stimulation of creativity, the results are also favorable to the intrinsic.