Classical liberalism originally tolerated state intervention and mercantilism.

Evidence

As the discussion of Locke in the article states, that paradigmatic classical liberal was a mercantilist: so state intervention in the economy was fine for classical liberals. Hayek liked to present himself as a classical liberal, but he was only able to do so by misrepresenting what classical liberals actually thought about the proper role of the state in the economy. — Philip Mirowski & Dieter Plehwe (eds.), The Road from Mont Pèlerin, 2088

Categorization

• XREF: Connects to the reader’s goal of tracing how the neoliberal network constructed its own intellectual lineage — Hayek’s self-presentation here is part of that historiography. — connects to: Eighteenth-century liberalism held that laissez-faire enriches the state’s power — Michel Foucault, The Birth of Biopolitics: Lectures at…, 622; Classical liberalism prioritized political freedom over economic liberty. — Philip Mirowski & Dieter Plehwe (eds.), The Road from Mont Pèlerin: The Making…, 391; Early neoliberalism allowed state intervention alongside price mechanisms, even tariffs — Dieter Plehwe, Quinn Slobodian & Philip Mirowski (eds.), Nine Lives of Neoliberalism, 389

Broader Connections

• Early neoliberalism allowed state intervention alongside price mechanisms, even tariffs #corroborates (0.85) — Dieter Plehwe, Quinn Slobodian & Philip Mirowski (eds.), Nine Lives of Neoliberalism, 389