The purpose of the podcast is to address complex and threatening issues with no easy answers. The speaker aims to confront and integrate problems rather than gloss over them. The guest, a professor of economics, discusses applying behavioral economics to cultural transition, emphasizing that human behavior will determine the possibilities and paths for the future. Behavioral economics combines psychology and economic models, suggesting the need to reconfigure the nervous system of society.
On this episode, Nate is joined by Ashley Hodgson, a professor in behavioral economics, where she offers a perspective on the superorganism and what 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. 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?
About Ashley Hodgson
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.
Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/lEUhSSl83-Y
Show notes, and find out more: https://www.thegreatsimplification.com/episode/109-ashley-hodgson