Reclaiming Meaning in a Measured World: Lessons from Kevin Aho

In this episode, philosopher Kevin Aho joins Andrew Soren to explore how modern life has turned meaning into measurement. Together, they examine how neoliberal values have reshaped higher education, the wellness industry, and even our sense of self.

Kevin and Andrew discuss how the culture of busyness and the commodification of well-being have left many people feeling unmoored, and why rediscovering our shared humanity might be the most important work of all.

Kevin Aho is Professor of Philosophy and Chair of the Department of Communication and Philosophy at Florida Gulf Coast University. His work explores existentialism, phenomenology, and the philosophy of health and illness.

Key Takeaways

• Meaning has become a metric. When education and work are reduced to measurable outputs, we lose sight of their deeper purpose: to help people grow, think critically, and engage with one another as human beings.
• The wellness industry reflects a deeper emptiness. The rise of “self-care” culture often masks structural problems, placing responsibility for well-being entirely on individuals instead of addressing the social conditions that shape health and belonging.
• The self is not a solo project. Kevin challenges the notion of a separate, autonomous self, suggesting that meaning and identity only exist through relationships with others.
• Community is the antidote to alienation. Small acts of connection, through art, education, or shared spaces, can help rebuild the collective life that neoliberal culture erodes.

Why This Episode Matters

In a time when organizations are driven by efficiency and individuals feel pressured to optimize every part of life, this conversation reminds us that meaning cannot be measured or achieved alone.

For leaders and changemakers, Kevin’s ideas offer a call to design systems and workplaces that honor interdependence, nurture reflection, and restore our sense of community and care.

About Our Guest

Kevin Aho is Professor of Philosophy and Chair of the Department of Communication and Philosophy at Florida Gulf Coast University. His research spans existentialism, phenomenology, hermeneutics, and the philosophy of health and illness. Through his books, Kevin explores what it means to live well, face suffering, and find meaning in our finite lives. His forthcoming work, A Phenomenology of Functional Neurological Disorder, continues this inquiry into how illness and vulnerability reveal what it truly means to be human.