A major gap is that while we can reason consciously as individuals about the values of goods and services, as an society/economy we price things unconsciously.

A major gap is that while we can reason consciously as individuals about the values of goods and services, as an society/economy we price things unconsciously. There are many jobs that have well agreed upon social value but we have no way to wire up the economy to pay them commensurately. Think of caregivers being paid $9 per hour to clean up Grandpa's sick, or teachers who can't spend their summers on improving their craft because they have to take a menial off-season position to stay afloat. It also works on the other side-- I think you'd be hard pressed to find someone saying that top athletes and actors are worth eight figures a year on their contribution to society alone, but the market has bid them there. A much more hands-on system of wage and price controls could at least come from a conscious decision-making process.