Neoliberalism rejects laissez-faire in favor of perpetual constructionist state intervention
Evidence
The starting point of neoliberalism is the admission, contrary to classical liberal doctrine, that their vision of the good society will triumph only if it becomes reconciled to the fact that the conditions for its existence must be constructed, and will not come about “naturally” in the absence of concerted political effort and organization. As Foucault presciently observed in 1978 “Neoliberalism should not be confused with the slogan ‘laissez-faire,’ but on the contrary, should be regarded as a call to vigilance, to activism, to perpetual interventions.” The injunction to act in the face of inadequate epistemic warrant is the very soul of “constructivism,” an orientation sometimes shared with the field of science studies, and the very soul of the Neoliberal Thought Collective. Classical liberalism, by contrast, disavowed this precept. — Philip Mirowski, Never Let a Serious Crisis Go to Waste, 148
Categorization
- DEFINE: Defines ‘constructivism’ as the soul of the Neoliberal Thought Collective — acting without full epistemic warrant.
- XREF: Recalls Foucault’s 1978 lectures on biopolitics; connects to science studies’ constructivism. — connects to: Neoliberals rejected planning yet immediately designed world-scale institutional blueprints. — Quinn Slobodian, Globalists: The End of Empire and the…, 398; Early neoliberalism rejected laissez-faire in favor of a state-built competitive order. — Dieter Plehwe, Quinn Slobodian & Philip Mirowski (eds.), Nine Lives of Neoliberalism, 365; Early neoliberals rejected laissez-faire and wanted strong state action (+10 more)
Broader Connections
- Early neoliberalism rejected laissez-faire in favor of a state-built competitive order.
#corroborates(1.00) — Dieter Plehwe, Quinn Slobodian & Philip Mirowski (eds.), Nine Lives of Neoliberalism, 365 - Neoliberalism is activist constructivism, not laissez-faire passivity.
#corroborates(1.00) — Philip Mirowski & Dieter Plehwe (eds.), The Road from Mont Pèlerin, 2125 - Neoliberalism endorses wide state action to construct markets, not laissez-faire.
#corroborates(1.00) — Jessica Whyte, The Morals of the Market, 431 - Neoliberalism differs from laissez-faire liberalism by using state intervention to create competition
#expands(0.97) - Early neoliberals rejected laissez-faire and wanted strong state action
#corroborates(0.95) - Early neoliberals explicitly distanced themselves from classical laissez-faire doctrine
#corroborates(0.90) — Philip Mirowski, Never Let a Serious Crisis Go to Waste, 117 - Neoliberalism rejected laissez-faire’s faith that free trade naturally spread peace and harmony
#qualifies(0.85) — Jessica Whyte, The Morals of the Market, 264 - MPS members rejected laissez-faire while insisting neoliberal principles suited underdeveloped countries
#expands(0.80) — Philip Mirowski & Dieter Plehwe (eds.), The Road from Mont Pèlerin, 1279 - Ordoliberals rejected laissez-faire because markets need moral and institutional scaffolding
#complicates(0.80) — Jessica Whyte, The Morals of the Market, 118 - Neoliberals rejected the pure state-versus-market binary as a false dichotomy
#expands(0.75) — Philip Mirowski & Dieter Plehwe (eds.), The Road from Mont Pèlerin, 9