Mark Carney, former Governor of the Bank of England and UN Special Envoy for Climate Finance, discusses the dangerous prioritization of financial over human values. He explores how this shift has contributed to crises like climate change and COVID-19. Carney emphasizes the need to redefine value in economic terms, advocating for a balance between profit and ethical considerations. He also critiques the undervaluation of essential care work and the limitations of capitalism in addressing societal needs, urging a return to deeper, more meaningful assessments of value.
The podcast highlights the critical imbalance between financial and human values, asserting this shift has led to crises in credit, Covid, and climate.
It explores the paradox of resource valuation, questioning why essential items like water are undervalued compared to luxury goods like diamonds.
The discussion advocates for a reevaluation of governance principles, emphasizing long-term societal values over short-term financial gains in policymaking.
Deep dives
Financial Values vs. Human Values
The discussion highlights the current prioritization of financial values over human values, showcasing how this shift has contributed to various global crises, including climate change and the COVID-19 pandemic. The concept of a market society is introduced, illustrating how financial metrics have overshadowed significant human-centric values such as fairness and sustainability. This perspective raises critical questions about the societal implications of valuing profit over the common good, as it calls for a reevaluation of what is deemed valuable in our economic systems. The ongoing challenge is to find a balance that respects societal values while operating within a financial framework.
Paradoxes of Value
Several paradoxes related to value are identified, questioning why essential resources like water are undervalued compared to luxury items such as diamonds. The discussion emphasizes the disconnect between the valuation of natural resources and their real-world importance, especially when considering environmental impacts. It also addresses the inherent contradictions in how society compensates vital services, such as healthcare, which often receive low wages despite high societal value. These paradoxes force us to consider the true worth of contributions to society beyond monetary compensation.
Evolution of Value Theory
The evolution of economic thought is explored, contrasting objective and subjective theories of value. Historically, value was derived from labor and production processes, as evidenced by classical economists like Adam Smith, who emphasized the moral dimensions of economic exchanges. However, the shift towards subjective value theory has altered perceptions of worth, suggesting that value derives from individual desire rather than labor invested. This progression raises concerns about how commodifying services, particularly in sectors like healthcare, diminishes the recognition of intrinsic societal value.
Market Mechanisms and Social Norms
The podcast discusses the relationship between market mechanisms and social norms, pointing out how the fusion of these two realms can lead to ethical dilemmas. As markets expand their influence into areas traditionally governed by moral values, such as education and healthcare, there's a risk of commodifying essential services. This normalization of financial calculus over humanitarian concerns challenges the ethical framework that supports societal cooperation and trust. The conversation suggests the need for stronger oversight and regulations that align market behavior with social values.
Long-Term Value and Governance
The conversation dives into the importance of long-term decision-making in governance, particularly in response to impending challenges like climate change. There is a call for policies that prioritize future societal value over short-term financial gains, arguing that current market systems often fail to account for long-term risks. Highlighting the political challenge of addressing climate action amidst short electoral cycles, the discussion advocates for a values-based approach to governance that encompasses future generations. Ultimately, this calls for a reconsideration of how society defines and integrates values into its economic frameworks.
Mark Carney’s Reith 2020 Lectures chart how we have come to esteem financial value over human value and how we have gone from market economies to market societies. He argues that this has contributed to a trio of crises: of credit, Covid and climate. And the former Bank of England Governor will outline how we can turn this around.
In this lecture, recorded with a virtual audience, he reflects that whenever he could step back from what felt like daily crisis management, the same deeper issues loomed. What is value? How does the way we assess value both shape our values and constrain our choices? How do the valuations of markets affect the values of our society?
Dr Carney argues that society has come to embody Oscar Wilde’s aphorism: “Knowing the price of everything but the value of nothing.”
Presenter: Anita Anand
Producer: Jim Frank
Editor: Hugh Levinson
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