Description
Power, Systems & Modern Life | Why Incentives Matter More Than Intentions Why do well-intentioned policies so often lead to disastrous outcomes? In this episode of Philosophy for Better Humans , Joey Caster takes you on a deep, non-partisan philosophical journey through power, systems, and unintended consequences —and why incentives shape behavior more than intentions ever could . Drawing on history’s greatest thinkers— Friedrich Hayek, Edmund Burke, G.K. Chesterton, Karl Marx, Hannah Arendt, Thomas Sowell, and more —this episode explores how compassionate ideas, centralized planning, and market forces can quietly produce outcomes no one intended. We examine real historical case studies like: Prohibition in the United States The Great Leap Forward in China Urban renewal and welfare systems Financial incentives behind the 2008 crisis And connect them to modern life , including: Social media algorithms and outrage culture ESG metrics and moral signaling AI alignment and incentive design Corporate culture and performance metrics This episode is not about left vs right. It’s about how systems actually work —and how good people can unknowingly participate in harmful outcomes when incentives are misaligned. If you’re interested in: Political philosophy without partisan bait Incentives vs intentions Power, systems, and modern society Ethics, capitalism, progressivism, and technology Thinking clearly in a complex world This episode is for you. 🎧 Listen, reflect, and share with someone who values truth over slogans. Subscribe for more long-form philosophical conversations on becoming better humans. 📌 CHAPTER KEYWORDS power and systems unintended consequences incentives vs intentions political philosophy podcast capitalism and progressivism philosophy of power AI ethics and incentives social media algorithms ESG criticism philosophy for better humans