The Sustainability Agenda

Episode 122: Interview with Professor Wendy Brown, author In the Ruins of Neoliberalism: The Rise of AntiDemocratic politics in the West.

May 23, 2021
Professor Wendy Brown, a prominent political theorist at UC Berkeley and author of In the Ruins of Neoliberalism, delves into the persistent grip of neoliberalism on politics and economics. She critiques how market-driven ideologies undermine democratic values and climate action. Wendy explores the complex relationship between corporate sustainability and profit motives, urging a rethink of economic models for genuine ecological progress. The conversation highlights the need for renewed democratic engagement and collaboration to tackle the climate crisis and ensure a sustainable future.
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INSIGHT

Neoliberalism Remakes Citizens

  • Neoliberalism is more than deregulation; it aims to remake people as entrepreneurial, responsible individuals rather than citizens of a social democracy.
  • This project pairs market primacy with traditional morality to dethrone state provision and legislative democracy.
INSIGHT

Everything Is Measured Economically

  • Neoliberal logic economizes all domains, making people calculate return on investment in education, relationships and life choices.
  • Financialization shifts focus from entrepreneurship to enhancing one's human capital value across life choices.
INSIGHT

Neoliberalism Is Not Over

  • Neoliberalism is on the defensive but not gone because its economic paradigms and privatizations remain entrenched.
  • Public reinvestment in welfare, education and infrastructure has not returned, so core neoliberal structures persist.
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