At the present stage of economic development, there is a significant increase in the consumption of various natural resources. Along with this, the process of interaction between society and the environment is sharply complicated.
Main problems
Due to the technogenic influence on nature, the manifestation of specific anthropogenic phenomena expands and becomes more intense. Today, energy, fuel, raw materials, water and environmental problems in general are so aggravated that they went beyond the boundaries of individual regions, gaining a global scale. In this regard, the study of the global natural resource potential and reserves of individual states is of particular importance. Not the last place is occupied by a thorough analysis of economic systems that have developed in various structures of the modern community, and their use. Currently, it is necessary to develop a clear plan for the optimal development of natural resources.
The concept of economic good
Every person has certain desires. They are divided into two categories: material and spiritual. However, it should be said that this division is more arbitrary. So, it is difficult to say for sure whether the need for knowledge belongs to the material or spiritual category. However, separation is entirely possible. Economic needs and benefits are two related categories. The former reflect what man is striving for. In turn, an economic good is a property of an object that can satisfy people's desires. This category is considered fundamental in the theory of economic development of any country.
Features
At the dawn of the establishment of statehood, free and economic benefits were available to humanity. The first includes everything that naturally exists in nature and can satisfy the desires of people. However, over time, the ratio in which there were free and economic benefits began to change in favor of the latter. In other words, almost all the desires of people began to be satisfied through production. In a market environment where tangible (economic) goods are sold and bought, they are called services and goods (often just products, products).
Ratio of categories
Humanity is structured in such a way that its economic needs and benefits that are at its disposal are usually not equal in volume. As a rule, the former exceed the latter. Experts even talk about a special principle - the "law of exaltation." It means that needs grow faster than goods are produced. To a greater extent, this arises due to the fact that after the satisfaction of some desires, others appear in people. In a traditional society, first of all, the economic benefits necessary for the normal functioning of people are required. Examples of them are found daily. This, in particular, food, clothing, basic services, housing.
Engel's Law
He points to a direct relationship between the type of products purchased and people's income level. This theory was proved back in the 19th century by the Prussian extras Ernest Engel. In accordance with his statements, which practice confirms, with an increase in the absolute value of income, the share that is spent on services and essential goods decreases. This increases the cost of products that are needed less. The very first need is food. In this regard, Engel’s law is expressed in the fact that with an increase in income, the share spent on food decreases. At the same time, the part spent on the purchase of other goods, in particular services acting as non-essential products, is increasing. As a result, we can conclude that if the growth of needs constantly outstrips the production of economic goods, the former become limitless, completely insatiable. Along with this, one can say more. In particular, if economic goods and resources are limited, then there is less need for them. This, in turn, is due to the unlimited nature of many natural resources, lack of labor, low production capacity and poor financing. In other words, production lags behind needs due to limited capabilities and stocks.
Economic benefits and their classification
Since humanity cannot live without satisfying its needs, the main issue in the theory of management in any country is the problem of production. The output is determined by the inexhaustible needs of people who require satisfaction. The needs of mankind are different. Different economic benefits are required to satisfy them (examples of them will be given below). For the production of any product requires certain costs. For a better understanding, economic benefits and their classification should be considered separately. This will allow us to draw the right conclusions when studying the subject of production as a whole. It should be noted that not all objects act as economic benefits. Examples of them are quite well known - this is air, water, earth. Now there are enough of them to meet the needs of people. Economic benefits are limited. They are not enough to meet the needs of the population. It should be noted here that the ability to satisfy needs does not make the object a blessing. This property must be realized by man.
Main categories
Today there is a wide variety of benefits. In particular, they may be:
- Community and individual.
- Material and spiritual.
- Present and future. The first in this case are in the real immediate disposal of people. The latter can be used, respectively, in the future. In practice, a person prefers real benefits. Different income theories come from this priority.
- Economic and non-economic.
- Direct and indirect. In this case, the former are aimed at satisfying a certain need and do not need to be transformed. The second act as a means. They are also called productive economic goods. Examples of them: buildings, equipment, industrial buildings, etc. This distinction is nevertheless considered very conditional.
- Short-term and long-term. The former can be used to meet a specific need only once. Long-term benefits are designed for repeated use. They are consumed gradually and are able to satisfy the same need several times.
- Interchangeable and interchangeable (complementary). The former are able to replace each other when consumed. Mutually complementary can only satisfy needs when used together. Any economic good is in a certain complementing or replacing relationship with others.
All objects that meet the needs fall into different categories:
- By the method of making available, they are divided into things and services. The first category is represented by the tangible products of nature or human activities. A service is considered to be human activity aimed at satisfying one's needs.
- By the nature of the needs, material and spiritual objects are distinguished. The latter are services or things that satisfy social, spiritual needs (informational, educational, cultural, research, communication, and others). The first, respectively, realize material needs.
- Rarely distinguish public and limited.
Category Characteristics
As mentioned above, benefits can be material and spiritual. The basis of this division are the physical properties of one or another object. So, there are things tangibly tangible. They can be seen and their physical characteristics determined. Also in the world there are "incorporeal objects", "ideal". They are certified without fail by a document securing the relevant rights to them. Material goods (clothing, high-grade food) are not found in open form in nature. A person can get them through the production process, transforming natural raw materials. In order to increase such benefits, additional steps must be taken. This is the essence of the need for production. Intangible goods are assimilated by people without any effort. They are present in the finished environment. Such objects also have the ability to act on the development of human skills. Material and spiritual benefits are divided into:
- Internal (hearing, voice, etc., that is given by nature, and man develops them himself).
- External (business relations).
Production facilities
Resources are needed to make any product or service. They are divided into the following categories:
- Natural. They include everything that is in the environment.
- Material. This category includes land or raw material capital.
- Labor. These include entrepreneurial, professional abilities and skills of people employed in production and services.
