Neoliberalism is a self-consciously evolving thought collective, not a fixed catechism
Evidence
Throughout the second half of the twentieth century, the neoliberal project stood out from other strains of right-wing thought in that it self-consciously was constituted as a multitiered sociological entity dedicated to the continued transnational development, promulgation, and popularization of doctrines intended to mutate over time, in reaction to both intellectual criticism and external events. It was a movable feast, and not a catechism fixed at the Council of Trent. Much of the time the litmus test was shared political objectives inculcated through prolonged internship in the thought collective; but infrequently, even that was open to delicate negotiation. Nevertheless, it was a sociological thought collective that eventually produced a relatively shared ontology concerning the world coupled with a more-or-less shared set of propositions about markets and political economy. These propositions are, of necessity, a central focus of a book on the relationship of neoliberals to the crisis. It should be very important to have some familiarity with these ideas, if only to resist simple-minded characterizations of the neoliberal approach to the crisis as some evangelical “market fundamentalism.” — Philip Mirowski, Never Let a Serious Crisis Go to Waste, 141
Categorization
- DEFINE: Defines the MPS as a ‘multitiered sociological entity’ and a ‘thought collective’ producing a shared ontology — core conceptual vocabulary of this chapter.
- XREF: Flags the standard scholarly characterizations (and dismissal) of the neoliberal response as ‘market fundamentalism’ — which Mirowski positions against throughout. — connects to: Neoclassical economics and the Neoliberal Thought Collective are distinct movements — Philip Mirowski, Never Let a Serious Crisis Go to Waste, 71; Neoliberal thought control is organized as nested institutions — Philip Mirowski, Never Let a Serious Crisis Go to Waste, 124; Neoliberalism’s cohesion comes from thought-collective structure, not explicit doctrine — Philip Mirowski, Never Let a Serious Crisis Go to Waste, 916 (+26 more)
Broader Connections
- Neoliberalism’s cohesion comes from thought-collective structure, not explicit doctrine
#corroborates(1.00) — Philip Mirowski, Never Let a Serious Crisis Go to Waste, 916 - Neoliberalism operates from a unified playbook despite surface variation
#contradicts(0.95) — Philip Mirowski, Never Let a Serious Crisis Go to Waste, 917 - Neoliberalism self-consciously planned as a multi-generational intellectual project
#expands(0.90) — Philip Mirowski & Dieter Plehwe (eds.), The Road from Mont Pèlerin, 116 - Neoliberalism is internally plural yet not formless
#expands(0.85) — Philip Mirowski & Dieter Plehwe (eds.), The Road from Mont Pèlerin, 10 - The neoliberal thought collective is a multilevel, multiphase, multisector political capacity-building project
#expands(0.85) — Dieter Plehwe, Quinn Slobodian & Philip Mirowski (eds.), Nine Lives of Neoliberalism, 1325 - Neoliberalism’s internal plurality is strategic strength, not weakness
#expands(0.85) — Philip Mirowski & Dieter Plehwe (eds.), The Road from Mont Pèlerin, 1014 - Neoliberal intellectuals formed a thought collective as a unit
#exemplifies(0.80) — Philip Mirowski & Dieter Plehwe (eds.), The Road from Mont Pèlerin, 10 - Neoliberalism’s deliberate epistemic inconsistencies enabled its long-term success
#expands(0.80)