neoliberal-hegemony

The 'Preamble' introduces the book's central concern: the lost capacity of the political left to envision and build a transformative future despite unprecedented technological potential. It critiques 'folk politics'—a defensive, localized, and fragmented approach to political struggle—and argues for a new, ambitious left politics that harnesses technological advances to overcome capitalism and achieve universal prosperity and emancipation. The chapter diagnoses the failures of neoliberalism and social democracy, emphasizing the need to reclaim control over the future through a collective and modern political project.

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.