I hate to say it, but your type of thinking it what I was getting at above
lol.. yeh, she is, along with 99% of everyone else on the planet.
Prices are just an evolution of a barter system, where a half a pig could be traded for a haircut.
yes, but if you know that the bloke down the street is going to do a better job of your haircut, and he was asking for a whole pig, then you're going to give him a whole pig aren't you? why would you not pay more for better goods and services? if someone in your 'perfect' situation made more effort with what they're making to produce a better product, they're going to want more pigs.. it might be the exact same product, it will look and feel the same, therefore it would be of the same "appropriate proportion" as you put it, but the better quality item wont break, where as someone that has spent less effort, selling their items for the same price, their stuff is breaks more often. so you go buy the better quality stuff.. its plainly common sense.. that said, the maker of the better quality items has every right to ask for a few more pigs, within reason of course.
or alternatively, people will stop going to the guy that makes the shoddy products, so he wont be getting many pigs, cause everyone knows his product is crap and they're shopping else where.. maybe he is trying his absolute hardest and as far as he is concerned, he is not capable of making his item any better than he already does, simply because he does not have the ability to do so.. what is he going to do to make sales? he isnt going to keep asking for the same amount of pigs cause ultimately, he isnt going to be able to feed his family.. he's going to drop his prices to get customers back.
but of course, there would be laws in place in your society to prevent this, the people that make the better products will get jack of it and most likely revolt, just what everyone needs.
i guess though when you get literally torn to shreds by the people who have better skills/make more effort that feel your idealistic society is holding them back.. because your community will most likely be away on some far off planet (or korea, china, cuba maybe), we wont be able to hear you scream
awesome. sounds great.