Even early MPS figures split over whether to reject foreign aid entirely

Evidence

John Davenport stressed the “positive program” contained in Bauer’s work in response to frequent accusations levied against the neoliberal right of “just being negative” (MPS Quarterly 1 1959, 7): Foreign private investment combined with the adequate efforts of developing countries, “which can develop normally and naturally by sticking to well-tested economic principles—the principle of sound money, for instance, and the principle of limited versus unlimited government” (Davenport 1959, 7). However, David McCord Wright felt that in order to not be perceived in a purely negative fashion, “we will have to give some direct aid in addition to the military aid, as a diplomatic move more than anything else” (MPS Quarterly 1, 1959, 8; emphasis added). — Philip Mirowski & Dieter Plehwe (eds.), The Road from Mont Pèlerin, 1327

Categorization

• XREF: Shows internal heterogeneity within the Mont Pèlerin Society—useful against monolithic readings of ‘neoliberalism’ common in later critique; connects to reader’s concern with origins and contestation of the term. — connects to: MPS members disagreed among themselves over whether foreign investment hurts recipients — Philip Mirowski & Dieter Plehwe (eds.), The Road from Mont Pèlerin: The Making…, 1328; The MPS nearly collapsed over a split between political action and long-term intellectual goals — Philip Mirowski & Dieter Plehwe (eds.), The Road from Mont Pèlerin: The Making…, 1359; Neoliberal economists disagreed sharply on whether foreign aid does harm — Philip Mirowski & Dieter Plehwe (eds.), The Road from Mont Pèlerin: The Making…, 1775

Broader Connections

• MPS members disagreed among themselves over whether foreign investment hurts recipients #expands (0.82) — Philip Mirowski & Dieter Plehwe (eds.), The Road from Mont Pèlerin, 1328
• Neoliberal economists disagreed sharply on whether foreign aid does harm #corroborates (0.80) — Philip Mirowski & Dieter Plehwe (eds.), The Road from Mont Pèlerin, 1775
• The MPS nearly collapsed over a split between political action and long-term intellectual goals #qualifies (0.72) — Philip Mirowski & Dieter Plehwe (eds.), The Road from Mont Pèlerin, 1359