Social Value of the Intellectual Commons: Dimensions of Commons-Based Value

The book proceeds in this chapter to present extensive elaboration of the research findings on the sequences and circuits of commons-based value within and beyond the communities under examination. Four sections of the chapter offer an analysis of collected research data as a basis to ground findings in relation to each of these four dimensions of commons-based values. The concluding section elicits general findings on the circulation of commons-based value, arising from common characteristics found in all four dimensions. Overall, the findings of the research show that social value within and beyond intellectual commons communities is circulated in specific forms, which can be revealed through social research and depicted in general formulae. The key finding of the chapter is that commons-based value circulates in the form of economic, social, cultural and political values and these alternative circuits of value have both inherent moral value and are beneficial for society.