Mont Pèlerin neoliberalism framed market economy as governed by an elite citizenry’s social conscience

Evidence

Although Brandt had no time to consider the darker sides of colonialism, he did proceed to construct a positive program, and in doing so, he hinted at some persisting problems of colonial history. His perspective on the “political and social goals of the West” included a demand for equal access to education and training, equal pay for equal quality of work, gradual abolition of a privileged status for white people, private property as central precondition for human dignity, and the responsibility of individuals and as the basic incentive (p. 11). In this address, Brandt bequeathed us with a concise statement of core aspects of MPS neoliberalism: “the philosophy of freedom and human dignity, and a market economy governed by social conscience and responsibility of an elite of citizens” (p. 7; emphasis added). — Philip Mirowski & Dieter Plehwe (eds.), The Road from Mont Pèlerin, 1306

Categorization

• DEFINE: Crisply encapsulates the core MPS self-definition: freedom, human dignity, market economy tempered by elite responsibility.
• XREF: Connects to standard neoliberal historiography (Mirowski-Plehwe, Burgin) on the self-image of the Mont Pèlerin Society as a guardian-elite project. — connects to: Mont Pèlerin founders framed market advocacy as skepticism against rigid laissez-faire ideals — Angus Burgin, The Great Persuasion: Reinventing Free…, 274; The Mont Pèlerin Society provides a stable reference for identifying neoliberalism — Philip Mirowski, Never Let a Serious Crisis Go to Waste, 108; Foucault’s market lectures echoed Mont Pelerin’s exoteric public face — Philip Mirowski, Never Let a Serious Crisis Go to Waste, 282 (+6 more)

Broader Connections

• Early neoliberals framed market competition as dependent on prior moral virtues. #expands (0.82) — Jessica Whyte, The Morals of the Market, 70
• Neoliberalism advanced a political, not merely economic, case for the competitive market #expands (0.78) — Jessica Whyte, The Morals of the Market, 34
• Neoliberals conditioned self-government on accepting market discipline #qualifies (0.75) — Jessica Whyte, The Morals of the Market, 297
• Within neoliberalism, one’s theory of markets determines one’s definition of freedom #corroborates (0.72) — Philip Mirowski, Never Let a Serious Crisis Go to Waste, 167