The New Way of the World: On Neoliberal Society

(Paperback)

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Exploring the genesis of neoliberalism, and the political and economic circumstances of its deployment, Pierre Dardot and Christian Laval dispel numerous common misconceptions. Neoliberalism is neither a return to classical liberalism nor the restoration of "pure" capitalism. To misinterpret neoliberalism is to fail to understand what is new about it: far from viewing the market as a natural given that limits state action, neoliberalism seeks to construct the market and use it as a model for governments. Only once this is grasped will its opponents be able to meet the unprecedented political and intellectual challenge it poses.

Reviews

The New Way of the World is the best modern realization of Foucault's pioneering approach to the history of neoliberalism. It wonderfully explores the European roots and branches of the neoliberal thought collective over the twentieth century, and warns that unthinking misrepresentations of its political project as espousing 'laissez-faire' has had the effect of allowing the Left to submit to its siren song. -- Philip Mirowski
To understand these debates [on neoliberalism], the book by Christian Laval and Pierre Dardot on the 'neoliberal society' offers us analytical keys.This monument of scholarship draws on the history of ideas, philosophy and sociology. * Le Monde *
Extremely scholarly, this book is an insistent invitation to push theoretical and social critique of the present order beyond the standard analyses. * Le Monde diplomatique *
This book represents much-needed commentary to the lectures delivered by Michel Foucault at the Collge de France in 1978/1979, entitled Birth of Biopolitics, [and] a compelling analysis of neoliberal governmentality in the era of capitalist financialization. -- Emanuele Leonardi * Theory, Culture & Society *
Erudite and provocative. -- Bruce Robbins * Los Angeles Review of Books *

Author Bio

Pierre Dardot is a philosopher and specialist in Hegel and Marx. Christian Laval is Professor of Sociology at the Universit de Paris Ouest Nanterre La Dfense. They are co-authors of Sauver Marx Empire, multitude, travail immatriel and Marx, prnom: Karl.