240121 SE VM5 / VM2 - Histories of Neoliberalism (2022W)

Since the 1990s the term "neoliberalism" took off in academia and public discourse, and even though it continues to polarize (some consider it merely a leftist swearword), historians have begun writing histories of neoliberalism. The seminar will examine this new scholarship – including intellectual, social, and cultural histories – as well as select primary sources via weekly discussion sessions based on reading assignments, response papers, and short presentations. The seminar will be conducted in ENGLISH.

We will explore the following questions: Is neoliberalism a useful analytical category? If so, how can we define neoliberalism? What are its multiple origins, manifestations, and consequences at different times and locales during the 20th century?

After discussing the "uses and abuses" of the term and considering different origin stories, we will proceed roughly chronologically to examine different episodes in the history of neoliberalism: from its supposed birth among scholars in red Vienna in the interwar period; to the post-World War II foundation of the (in)famous Mont Pèlerin Society, an international network of academics, businessmen and journalists; to possible early applications in the Global South (Indonesia) and North (New York); and finally, to the “neoliberal turn” from the mid-1970s onwards, specifically in Chile, the United States, international financial institutions, and (Eastern) Europe after the collapse of state socialism. In conclusion, we will discuss the recent proliferation of obituaries of neoliberalism, in the wake of the financial and Corona crises.

The overall aim of the seminar is to familiarize students with different historiographical approaches to neoliberalism and methodological foundations of writing history.

Students are expected to engage some of the assigned readings for their final term papers and encouraged to analyze (historical) primary sources in them.