Ordoliberal identity was built on opposition to Marxism and Keynesianism

Evidence

In addition to this display of an authoritarian bent, the early writings of Eucken, Rüstow, and Müller-Armack demonstrate that ordoliberal identity was mainly fueled by an opposition to major contemporary economic and political ideas, primarily against Marxist positions in general, but also against Keynesian economic theory, which had emerged alongside neoliberalism. “This frontal opposition explains its aggressive element” (Riese 1972, 27)—and has remained inherent in ordoliberalism up until the present day. By masking this negation as the starting point of building a theory, ordoliberalism eventually gained notoriety as a rather dogmatic theory designed to reassign legitimacy to the ideas of competition and the market. — Philip Mirowski & Dieter Plehwe (eds.), The Road from Mont Pèlerin, 528

Categorization

• XREF: Shows that the binary ‘neoliberalism vs Keynes’ framing in later historiography partly mirrors ordoliberalism’s own self-definition-by-negation. — connects to: Reputation as a Keynesian can mask an earlier Austrian-network allegiance. — Dieter Plehwe, Quinn Slobodian & Philip Mirowski (eds.), Nine Lives of Neoliberalism, 293; Both Schumpeter and ordoliberals rejected Marx’s internal-contradiction thesis of capitalism — Michel Foucault, The Birth of Biopolitics: Lectures at…, 947; Ordoliberalism rose in Germany partly because no Keynesian rival doctrine existed — Philip Mirowski & Dieter Plehwe (eds.), The Road from Mont Pèlerin: The Making…, 547 (+2 more)
• DEFINE: Pinpoints how ordoliberalism defined itself negatively — against Marxism and Keynesianism — which explains its combative, dogmatic reputation.

Broader Connections

• Ordoliberalism rose in Germany partly because no Keynesian rival doctrine existed #corroborates (0.82) — Philip Mirowski & Dieter Plehwe (eds.), The Road from Mont Pèlerin, 547
• Anti-Keynesianism and Austrian marginalism unite the two neo-liberalisms #expands (0.80) — Michel Foucault, The Birth of Biopolitics, 527
• Marxism reads social formations as overdetermined unities with relatively autonomous levels #corroborates (0.72)