204. Dovev Lavie: The cooperative economy and incentivising prosocial behavior
Professor Dovev Lavie is an economics professor that began experimenting with new forms of economic exchange during the pandemic. A concept he developed and unfolded in his book Cooperative Economy
Episode summary and links:
Professor Dovev Lavie is an economics professor that began experimenting with new forms of economic exchange during the pandemic. A concept he developed and unfolded in his book. More info can be found here Cooperative Economy. This conversations take us through some of the symptoms of the current economy and we discuss underlying causes as well as possible solutions like looking at purchasing power adjusted pricing, promoting and incentivizing pro-social behavior and other similar concepts that Dovev has developed in his book. Enjoy!
AI summary
In this episode, Professor Dovev Lavie discusses the current economic system and its challenges. He highlights issues such as economic inequality, dominance of ecosystem platforms, loss of privacy, and overconsumption. Professor Lavie explains that these challenges are symptoms of an economic system that prioritizes profit and utility over societal values. He proposes the concept of the cooperative economy, which aims to promote pro-social behavior and prioritize societal values. The cooperative economy focuses on community, subsidizing the needy, profit caps, and leveraging technology. However, he acknowledges the complexity and cultural considerations involved in implementing such a system. The conversation explores the concept of true price and its challenges, the alignment of economic outcomes with societal values, and the interplay between structure and culture. It also introduces the idea of a cooperative economy as an alternative system and emphasizes the need for systemic solutions and experimentation.
Takeaways
Measuring the true price of products and services is complex and may not be straightforward.
Implementing true price may lead to inequality, as only the rich can afford to pay the true price.
Different markets have different value exchanges, and economic outcomes should be aligned with societal values.
The cooperative economy offers an alternative system that promotes pro-social behavior and allows individuals to choose between profit-oriented and equality-oriented systems.
Systemic solutions and experimentation are needed to address the complexity of societal challenges.
Chapters
00:00 Introduction and Background
05:09 Challenges of the Current Economic System
18:42 Underlying Values and Assumptions
38:27 The Cooperative Economy
51:10 Addressing True Cost and Cultural Values
53:08 Complexity and Modulating the System
55:56 The Complexity of Measuring True Price
56:21 The Challenge of Implementing True Price
57:23 Different Value Exchanges in Different Markets
58:25 Aligning Economic Outcomes with Societal Values
59:28 Aligning Societal Values in Different Communities
01:00:27 The Interplay Between Structure and Culture
01:01:54 Promoting Pro-Social Behavior
01:02:20 The Cooperative Economy as an Alternative System
01:03:12 The Need for Systemic Solutions
01:04:21 Experimentation and Optimization
01:05:14 Call for Action and Optimism