Neoliberal competition theory emerged at Chicago within about four years

Evidence

The third section looks at each individual in turn, showing how his opinion during the later years of the FMS (1950–1952) or during the period immediately following the FMS sharply diverged from his earlier opinions, thus providing evidence of the timing and emergence of neoliberal doctrine at Chicago (at least with regard to these particular topics). Notably, the birth of neoliberal competition theory occurred roughly four years after the FMS commenced; this was a notably short period of time. By contrast with Henry Simons, the triumvirate of Director, Friedman, and Levi began to advocate the idea that monopoly, in all its forms, was almost always undone by the forces of competition; and consequently that a relatively sanguine attitude should be adopted toward both monopoly and large corporations. The corporations were said to have approximated the impersonal ideal of the market, even in what would appear, by conventional measures, to be fairly concentrated markets. — Philip Mirowski & Dieter Plehwe (eds.), The Road from Mont Pèlerin, 1081

Categorization

• XREF: The four-year gestation of Chicago doctrine connects to the reader’s broader interest in how the neoliberal intellectual network formed and consolidated. — connects to: Neoliberalism makes competition rather than exchange the essence of the market — Wendy Brown, Undoing the Demos: Neoliberalism’s…, 59; Neoliberalism advanced a political, not merely economic, case for the competitive market — Jessica Whyte, The Morals of the Market: Human Rights…, 34

Broader Connections

• Neoliberalism makes competition rather than exchange the essence of the market #expands (0.80) — Wendy Brown, Undoing the Demos, 59
• Neoliberalism advanced a political, not merely economic, case for the competitive market #expands (0.75) — Jessica Whyte, The Morals of the Market, 34