George Stigler, not Friedman, was the key neoliberal theorist of the marketplace of ideas

Evidence

Stigler would come to occupy an unusual position within the intellectual and political crosscurrents of the Cold War economics profession—we might even characterize his position as unique. He was able to combine an interest in formal models of information, orthodox economics, pro-market politics, and the role of the intellectual in capitalism into something approaching a coherent set of views and practices that he then deployed both inside and outside economics—indeed, inside and outside the academy—all the while claiming to uphold the best traditions of science, and gaining a reputation among even his intellectual antagonists for doing just this. — Dieter Plehwe, Quinn Slobodian & Philip Mirowski (eds.), Nine Lives of Neoliberalism, 104 (#corroborates, via linked claim)

Categorization

• XREF: connects to: Friedman’s anti-politics drew directly on Buchanan and Stigler’s public choice economics. — Angus Burgin, The Great Persuasion: Reinventing Free…, 481; George Stigler uniquely blended information economics, orthodox economics, and pro-market activism — Dieter Plehwe, Quinn Slobodian & Philip Mirowski (eds.), Nine Lives of Neoliberalism, 104; Stigler held that society needs economic science but not economists’ popular writings. (+3 more)

Related

• George Stigler combined formal economics, pro-market politics, and intellectual self-promotion (similarity 0.92)
• George Stigler, not Friedman, led the marketplace-of-ideas project and opposed public outreach (similarity 0.92)
• George Stigler uniquely blended information economics, orthodox economics, and pro-market activism (similarity 0.90)
• Stigler distinguished the economist’s scientific output from his popular advocacy. (similarity 0.87)
• Stigler held that society needs economic science but not economists’ popular writings. (similarity 0.87)
• Stigler doubted that the public’s demand for economic science was significant. (similarity 0.86)
• Stigler thought public lectures on economics were useless and politically dangerous (similarity 0.85)
• The efficient-markets logic undercuts the very need for expert economic advice. (similarity 0.84)
• Stigler eclipsed Friedman as Chicago’s most influential market thinker by the 1980s (similarity 0.84)
• Stigler held economists gain real influence only through technical work, not public advocacy (similarity 0.83)
• Friedman’s anti-politics drew directly on Buchanan and Stigler’s public choice economics. (similarity 0.82)
• Stigler questioned the very usefulness of intellectuals in a rational world. (similarity 0.82)
• Stigler sought patron influence by reshaping economics itself rather than public opinion. (similarity 0.82)
• Stigler held that science and markets work by the same organizing principles (similarity 0.81)
• Chicago-school economists disagreed sharply over whether popularizing economics even makes sense. (similarity 0.81)

Broader Connections

• Reading neoliberalism only through Friedman obscures its multiple strategies toward the public #corroborates (0.80)
• George Stigler uniquely blended information economics, orthodox economics, and pro-market activism #corroborates (0.78) — Dieter Plehwe, Quinn Slobodian & Philip Mirowski (eds.), Nine Lives of Neoliberalism, 104
• Stigler held that society needs economic science but not economists’ popular writings. #corroborates (0.72)