The Great Simplification #109 – Ashley Hodgson: “The New Enlightenment and Behavioral Economics”

| February 21, 2024 | Leave a Comment

The Great Simplification

Item Link: Access the Resource

Date of Publication: February 14

Year of Publication: 2024

Publisher: The Great Simplification

Author(s): Nate Hagens

In this episode, Nate is joined by Ashley Hodgson, a professor in behavioral economics, who 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 at St. Olaf College 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.

Listen to the podcast here and other episodes here.

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