Neurodynamic Utility: A Neurobiological Theory of Pleasure, Disutility, and Decision-Making

Heng-Fu Zou ()

No 753, CEMA Working Papers from China Economics and Management Academy, Central University of Finance and Economics

Abstract: This paper develops a dynamic, neuroscience-based theory of utility and disutility, replacing the static scalar utility functions of classical economics with a biologically grounded, mathematically rigorous framework. Drawing from molecular, cellular, systems, and computational neuroscience, we model subjective wellbeing as a neurodynamic process governed by differential equations, oscillatory systems, stochastic fluctuations, and quantum probability. The brain—containing roughly 100 billion neurons and 100 trillion synapses—emerges as the fundamental organ of economic valuation, with synaptic plasticity and circuit feedback shaping how pleasure, fatigue, and effort evolve over time. We present nine core equations that capture the temporal, spatial, and probabilistic structure of hedonic experience, integrating economic constraints such as PC=wL. These models reveal utility as a lived, adaptive, and embodied process, sensitive to consumption, labor, attention, and expectation. The framework offers a unified theory of welfare rooted in neurobiological complexity, enabling a redefinition of human flourishing through the combined lenses of economics and brain science.

Pages: 27 pages
Date: 2025-05-16
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-evo and nep-upt
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