Neoliberals blamed Rousseau’s popular sovereignty, not the state, for imperialism and totalitarianism

Evidence

While Rüstow attributed colonial imperialism to the ‘warlike spirit’ of states, his real concern was not with the state per se, which he believed needed to be strong in order to depoliticise civil society. Rather, he traced the ‘cult of the great Leviathan’ not to Thomas Hobbes, but to Jean-Jacques Rousseau and the tradition of revolutionary popular sovereignty. As anticolonialists struggling for self-determination were drawn to Rousseau’s theorisation of the ‘will of the people’, Rüstow, in common with much neoliberal opposition to popular sovereignty, positioned the Swiss philosopher at the origin of modern totalitarianism. — Jessica Whyte, The Morals of the Market, 282

Categorization

• XREF: Connects to the reader’s interest in how neoliberal thought re-cast political legitimacy and sovereignty, echoing debates on postcolonial self-determination vs human rights. — connects to: Neoliberals blamed Latin America’s Rousseau-inspired sovereignty culture for its socialism — Jessica Whyte, The Morals of the Market: Human Rights…, 315; Neoliberals argued that politicizing the economy, not capitalism, caused imperialism. — Jessica Whyte, The Morals of the Market: Human Rights…, 434; Neoliberals redefined imperialism as an effect of politicising the economy, not of capitalist expansion. — Jessica Whyte, The Morals of the Market: Human Rights…, 231 (+1 more)

Broader Connections

• Neoliberals argued that politicizing the economy, not capitalism, caused imperialism. #expands (0.90) — Jessica Whyte, The Morals of the Market, 434
• Neoliberals redefined imperialism as an effect of politicising the economy, not of capitalist expansion. #expands (0.90) — Jessica Whyte, The Morals of the Market, 231
• Neoliberals argued political meddling, not markets, causes war #expands (0.85) — Jessica Whyte, The Morals of the Market, 256
• Neoliberals blamed Latin America’s Rousseau-inspired sovereignty culture for its socialism #expands (0.82) — Jessica Whyte, The Morals of the Market, 315