The Rise of Neoliberalism

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The internet has enabled more and more things to be turned over to the market. It has made each of us a kind of well the business people talk this way we're all brands now, he says. Being human is a real thing not in the literal sense of being a member of the species but feeling like somehow your whole self is part of the world. And you're not just a widget that's trying to satisfy market demand.

William Deresiewicz is an American author, essayist, and critic. He taught English at Yale University from 1998 to 2008. He is the author, among other books, of Excellent Sheep: The Miseducation of the American Elite and the Way to a Meaningful Life.

In this week’s conversation, Yascha Mounk and William Deresiewicz discuss how the intensely meritocratic nature of elite universities prioritizes striving over deep learning; the instrumentalization of traditional pursuits to the detriment of mastery; and how broader cultural transformations frustrate deep immersion in art, friendship, and learning.

This transcript has been condensed and lightly edited for clarity.

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