The New Enlightenment and Behavioral Economics

The Great Simplification #109 with Ashley Hodgson

Today, I’m joined by fellow mid-westerner and friend, Ashley Hodgson. As a professor in behavioral economics, she and I discuss the intersection between my work in analyzing the superorganism and her work which she calls ‘The New Enlightenment’. By taking a wide-lens look at the way our human systems work, we can see the incentives and structures that push power towards consumptive, short-sighted, and destructive pathways.

Ashley Hodgson is an Associate Professor of Economics and a YouTuber.  She teaches Behavioral Economics, Digital Industries, Health Care Economics, and Blockchain Economics.  Her YouTube channel, The New Enlightenment, explores topics related to economics, governance, and epistemics – that is, the determination of truth and validity – in a world of social media and increasing power concentration.  

How could we ‘rejigger’ these systems to be more aligned with values and goals conducive to supporting humans long into the future? What are the natural laws that inherently depreciate systems - and how might we think about counteracting them? As we enter a world where the perpetual growth we’ve come to expect is no longer possible, how can we lean into the creativity and ingenuity required when thinking about new economic paradigms? 

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In case you missed it…

Last week, economist Steve Keen presented a deep forensic history of why modern economic theory has neglected the role of energy in productivity - and why this “Energy Blindness” has now become a major blindspot in how our culture views our circumstances. The massive, temporary carbon surplus we’ve extracted over the last few centuries has resulted in an exponential increase in the standard of living for many. This explosion of global economic growth also happened to coincide with the development of all modern economic theories and formulas, leading to a core misunderstanding in the way our economies are powered. Where do we go once we understand the true role of energy in our economy - and will we have the ability to reshape economic policies to be in line with our energy realities? 

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