Neoliberalism’s cohesion comes from thought-collective structure, not explicit doctrine

Evidence

Since any analytical statements that delve into neoliberal practice have to avoid the Scylla of conspiracy theories as well as the Charybdis of endorsement of their trademark notions of spontaneous order, it will be necessary to insist that their contemporary full-spectrum approach to politics has not been comprehensively described anywhere by any of the major neoliberal thinkers. The approach instead grows directly out of their hallmark organization of the thought collective, in conjunction with their specific theoretical commitments concerning the role of knowledge in markets. In other words, the Russian doll organization of Mont Pèlerin, affiliated think tanks, dedicated funding agencies, academic units, and astroturf operations is nicely suited to promote seemingly alternative policies emanating from different compass points within the hierarchy of the NTC; what melds this policy entrepreneurship into a monolithic agenda is precisely the sociology of knowledge that grows out of their core epistemological commitments. — Philip Mirowski, Never Let a Serious Crisis Go to Waste, 916

Categorization

• DEFINE: Introduces the ‘full-spectrum approach’ and explains how Russian-doll organization produces policy cohesion.
• XREF: Connects to the reader’s ‘thought collective’ reading goal — the mechanism unifying Mont Pèlerin through think-tank hierarchy. — connects to: Neoliberalism’s founders believed ideological change demanded deliberate collective organization — Angus Burgin, The Great Persuasion: Reinventing Free…, 218; Neoclassical economics and the Neoliberal Thought Collective are distinct movements — Philip Mirowski, Never Let a Serious Crisis Go to Waste, 71; Neoliberalism was never a unified doctrine but three distinct sects from its founding. — Philip Mirowski, Never Let a Serious Crisis Go to Waste, 120 (+30 more)

Broader Connections

• Neoliberal intellectuals formed a thought collective as a unit #corroborates (0.85) — Philip Mirowski & Dieter Plehwe (eds.), The Road from Mont Pèlerin, 10
• Neoliberalism is internally plural yet not formless #expands (0.82) — Philip Mirowski & Dieter Plehwe (eds.), The Road from Mont Pèlerin, 10
• Neoliberalism’s internal plurality is strategic strength, not weakness #expands (0.80) — Philip Mirowski & Dieter Plehwe (eds.), The Road from Mont Pèlerin, 1014
• The neoliberal thought collective is a multilevel, multiphase, multisector political capacity-building project #expands (0.75) — Dieter Plehwe, Quinn Slobodian & Philip Mirowski (eds.), Nine Lives of Neoliberalism, 1325
• Neoliberalism’s deliberate epistemic inconsistencies enabled its long-term success #qualifies (0.72)