Neoliberalism was internally heterogeneous and institutionally embedded, not monolithic

Evidence

This volume contends that more is to be learned by continuing the inquiry into neoliberalism than declaring it dead, defunct, or a diversion. It follows a number of exceptional publications on this topic. At the same time, it builds on this literature in ways that strike us as crucial for the development of the field. The first is its focus on institutional embeddedness. Nine Lives of Neoliberalism places ideas in context and follows them in action. Sites of analysis include the League of Nations’ intellectual wing, the Bellagio Group of academics and central bankers, and the California tax and welfare reform movement. Against charges that critical scholars cast neoliberalism as a monolith, Nine Lives of Neoliberalism also emphasizes the diversity and heterogeneity of the neoliberal thought style. Attention is drawn to the deep influence of the philosophy of science on early neoliberalism, the contested nature of behavioral economics in neoliberalism, the divergent stances on the idea of intellectual property rights, and the bitter conflicts within the Mont Pélerin Society (MPS) over what might underpin a global monetary order. — Dieter Plehwe, Quinn Slobodian & Philip Mirowski (eds.), Nine Lives of Neoliberalism, 20

Categorization

• XREF: Fractures the caricature of a single globalized thought bloc; echoes the internal-varieties framing this reader is tracking across books. — connects to: Neoliberalism was never a unified doctrine but three cross-fertilizing sects — Philip Mirowski, Never Let a Serious Crisis Go to Waste, 120; Neoliberalism was initially a self-declared identity, not an external label — Dieter Plehwe, Quinn Slobodian & Philip Mirowski (eds.), Nine Lives of Neoliberalism, 364; Neoliberalism was a flexible project, not a fixed doctrine with essential content — Philip Mirowski & Dieter Plehwe (eds.), The Road from Mont Pèlerin: The Making…, 115 (+7 more)

Broader Connections

• Neoliberalism is internally diverse and marked by real internal conflict #corroborates (0.90) — Dieter Plehwe, Quinn Slobodian & Philip Mirowski (eds.), Nine Lives of Neoliberalism, 45
• Neoliberalism was a flexible project, not a fixed doctrine with essential content #corroborates (0.85) — Philip Mirowski & Dieter Plehwe (eds.), The Road from Mont Pèlerin, 115
• Neoliberalism encompassed bitter internal conflicts, not a unified doctrine. #exemplifies (0.85) — Dieter Plehwe, Quinn Slobodian & Philip Mirowski (eds.), Nine Lives of Neoliberalism, 20
• Religious and political heterogeneity prevented French neoliberals from building a unified network #exemplifies (0.80) — Philip Mirowski & Dieter Plehwe (eds.), The Road from Mont Pèlerin, 294
• Neoliberalism is internally plural yet not formless #complicates (0.80) — Philip Mirowski & Dieter Plehwe (eds.), The Road from Mont Pèlerin, 10
• Neoliberalism’s cohesion comes from thought-collective structure, not explicit doctrine #expands (0.78) — Philip Mirowski, Never Let a Serious Crisis Go to Waste, 916
• Neoliberalism was initially a self-declared identity, not an external label #expands (0.75) — Dieter Plehwe, Quinn Slobodian & Philip Mirowski (eds.), Nine Lives of Neoliberalism, 364
• Neoliberalism’s internal plurality is strategic strength, not weakness #expands (0.75) — Philip Mirowski & Dieter Plehwe (eds.), The Road from Mont Pèlerin, 1014
• The neoliberal thought collective was itself a designed order, not a spontaneous one #expands (0.75) — Philip Mirowski, Never Let a Serious Crisis Go to Waste, 207