Resumen de Revisiting the evaluation of heritage objects
This article explores the idea that heritage is historically and socially contingent and is inseparable from the relativistic conception of society and culture. It puts forward the proposition that the concept of values would be more effective, in the theory and practice of heritage conservation and protection, if its use were to be closely related to the ideas of ordering, scaling, preferences and other relativistic procedures, as is done in valuation methodologies and approaches. It explores the monetary approach to heritage valuation. Money is the most simple and direct way to do valuation in our society and, more importantly, it is the simplest way for people to understand the differences of importance in relation to their life today. The adherence to the “moral” principles that heritage should not be “entangled with” the world of commodities is of no assistance in seeking to better appreciate the cultural heritage nor in finding more effective ways to manage its conservation and protection.
