[D66] Neoliberalism's Demons

[A.O.]

https://www.sup.org/books/title/?id=29538

Neoliberalism's Demons
On the Political Theology of Late Capital
Adam Kotsko

BUY THIS BOOK

September 2018
176 pages.
from $22.95

Cloth ISBN: 9781503604810
Paper ISBN: 9781503607125
Digital ISBN: 9781503607132



Philosophy / Political Philosophy
Religion / Theology
Economics
Politics / Political Economy

By both its supporters and detractors, neoliberalism is usually
considered an economic policy agenda. Neoliberalism's Demons argues that
it is much more than that: a complete worldview, neoliberalism presents
the competitive marketplace as the model for true human flourishing. And
it has enjoyed great success: from the struggle for "global
competitiveness" on the world stage down to our individual practices of
self-branding and social networking, neoliberalism has transformed every
aspect of our shared social life.

The book explores the sources of neoliberalism's remarkable success and
the roots of its current decline. Neoliberalism's appeal is its promise
of freedom in the form of unfettered free choice. But that freedom is a
trap: we have just enough freedom to be accountable for our failings,
but not enough to create genuine change. If we choose rightly, we ratify
our own exploitation. And if we choose wrongly, we are consigned to the
outer darkness—and then demonized as the cause of social ills. By
tracing the political and theological roots of the neoliberal concept of
freedom, Adam Kotsko offers a fresh perspective, one that emphasizes the
dynamics of race, gender, and sexuality. More than that, he accounts for
the rise of right-wing populism, arguing that, far from breaking with
the neoliberal model, it actually doubles down on neoliberalism's most
destructive features.

About the author

Adam Kotsko is on the faculty of the Shimer Great Books School of North
Central College. His most recent book is The Prince of This World
(Stanford, 2016).