Contemporary neoliberal subjects are subordinated to macroeconomic growth, not self-interest

Evidence

According to Foucault, what “characterizes homo oeconomicus” is that he is driven by interest and his “action has a multiplying and beneficial value through the intensification of interest.” As I will be arguing, I do not think “interest” adequately captures the ethos or subjectivity of the contemporary neoliberal subject; this subject is so profoundly integrated into and hence subordinated to the supervening goal of macroeconomic growth that its own well-being is easily sacrificed to these larger purposes. — Wendy Brown, Undoing the Demos, 166

Categorization

• XREF: Brown’s critique of Foucault’s ‘interest’ framing directly advances the reading purpose: the neoliberal subject is sacrificed to growth for its own sake. — connects to: Progressive aims are reframed through economic growth discourse — Wendy Brown, Undoing the Demos: Neoliberalism’s…, 36; Neoliberalism replaces natural self-interest with governed self-investment tied to macroeconomic growth. — Wendy Brown, Undoing the Demos: Neoliberalism’s…, 167; Neoliberal reason legitimates casting off labor that fails to aid macroeconomic growth. — Wendy Brown, Undoing the Demos: Neoliberalism’s…, 167 (+1 more)

Broader Connections

• Neoliberalism replaces natural self-interest with governed self-investment tied to macroeconomic growth. #corroborates (0.92) — Wendy Brown, Undoing the Demos, 167
• Neoliberal reason legitimates casting off labor that fails to aid macroeconomic growth. #expands (0.85) — Wendy Brown, Undoing the Demos, 167
• Neoliberalism replaces labor with human capital and dissolves the stable self #expands (0.72) — Philip Mirowski, Never Let a Serious Crisis Go to Waste, 162