[whatevsbro]

> Ultimately, the concept of "actual value" can be defined as one of two things: money

Even when "money" refers to hyperinflated Zimbabwean dollars? No, it's clear those had no value.

Value is subjective, by the way. You may value 50cent's music enough to buy it, and someone else may not.

> laws (for things that have value for the society, e.g. externalities).

Oh? Like all those countless laws that make running a legitimate business more difficult? Do those have value? -Well, in fact they do. They have value to the insiders of whatever cartel/skimming operations the laws support, by reducing or eliminating competition.

But that's not what you imagined. The guy you responded to had the right idea, but he was talking about "wealth" - things of value that support the production of new value.