Regenerative Economics: New Economic Paradigms, Living Systems, & Holistic Thinking
The Great Simplification #149 with John Fullerton
Our modern economic system is designed to maximize financial capital, viewing money as though it were wealth itself. But what would happen if we viewed wealth more holistically, taking into account our natural, social, cultural, and human capital, too?
In this conversation, I’m joined by unconventional economist John Fullerton to discuss the principles of regenerative economics and the need for shifts in our economic paradigms from reductionist thinking to holistic thinking. Fullerton emphasizes the importance of understanding economies as living systems, advocating for financial and monetary systems that align with the patterns of life.
If regenerative economics represents a societal shift towards sustainability, how does our modern financial system act as a barrier to that shift? If the ‘myth of separation’ contributes to our current economic problems, what types of radical change are needed to reconcile our values dissonance as our crises deepen and accelerate? Finally, how can we teach ourselves to differentiate between the real economy and the financial economy – and to value the things that genuinely add to human and planetary well-being?
In case you missed it…
In last week’s Frankly, I reminded us that the realities of our accelerating predicament go way beyond election results. Rather than filtering people solely by their political preferences, we should lean into the more profound and deeper ways of understanding and connecting with one another. And when it comes to the long-term stability and viability of our civilization, money and politics are secondary to the health of the biosphere and the non-renewable materials and energy which underpin it. Building on these insights, I provided a list of practical steps listeners can take before and after the election, regardless of the outcome.
If you appreciate The Great Simplification podcast…
Be sure to leave a review on your preferred podcast platform! Leaving reviews helps the podcast grow, which helps spread awareness of our systemic situation from experts in ecology, energy, policy, economics, technology, and community building so that we can better understand - and respond to - the challenges of the coming decade.
The Great Simplification podcast is produced by The Institute for the Study of Energy and Our Future (ISEOF), a 501(c)(3) organization. We want to keep all content completely free to view globally and without ads. If you’d like to support ISEOF and it’s content via donation, please use the link below.
This conversation was super informative and somehow gave me hope. Two expert finance and Wall Street gurus (Nate and John) discuss the vital importance of a regenerative outlook and managing system in the economic and finance fields. Great conversation, enlightening perspectives. Also made me realize that a regenerative approach can be applied to many fields, academic subjects, etc., not just agriculture, etc. As a retired U.S. Foreign Service Officer with the State Department, I can envision many ways that regenerative foreign policy could make a huge difference, and be very beneficial. A country’s international relations goals ideally would be regenerative, but most often they definitely are not, e.g., colonial and post-colonial wars for oil, minerals, land, etc., —- for Pete’s sake!