← Back to Concept Index

mont-pelerin-society

A closed intellectual network founded by Hayek in 1947 that served as the ideological and organizational core for developing and spreading neoliberalism.

1 chapter across 1 book

Inventing the Future: Postcapitalism and a World Without Work (2015)Nick Srnicek and Alex Williams

Chapter 3

Chapter 3 examines the rise and consolidation of neoliberalism as a hegemonic ideology, emphasizing that its dominance was not inevitable but the result of a deliberate political project. The chapter traces neoliberalism's origins from marginal intellectual movements and highlights the strategic creation of a transnational infrastructure, particularly through the Mont Pelerin Society, which aimed to reshape elite opinion and political common sense. It also clarifies neoliberalism's distinct role for the state in actively constructing and sustaining markets, challenging the misconception that it advocates for minimal state intervention.