Symbiotic neoliberalism: Foucault and the impure critique of neoliberalism.
This article brings together two distinct research trajectories – the growing characterization of neoliberalism as a monster and the recent debate on whether Foucault was a neoliberal – to investigate a dimension that these bodies of scholarship have not examined: our involvement in neoliberalism's...
| Publicado en: | Distinktion: Journal of Social Theory Vol. 26; no. 1; pp. 76 - 95 |
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| Formato: | Artículo |
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Taylor & Francis Ltd
Apr2025
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| Acceso en línea: | Ver este registro en EBSCOhost |
| fields | @attributes: recordID: 1 pdfLink: plink: https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=ssf&AN=183540972&site=ehost-live header: @attributes: shortDbName: ssf uiTerm: 183540972 longDbName: Social Sciences Full Text (H.W. Wilson) uiTag: AN controlInfo: bkinfo: jinfo: jid: 1600910X K617 jtl: Distinktion: Journal of Social Theory issn: 1600910X maglogo: N pubinfo: dt: Apr2025 vid: 26 iid: 1 pid: 377 pub: Taylor & Francis Ltd artinfo: ui: 183540972 10.1080/1600910X.2024.2402686 ppf: 76 ppct: 19 formats: tig: atl: Symbiotic neoliberalism: Foucault and the impure critique of neoliberalism. aug: au: Mavelli, Luca affil: School of Politics and International Relations, University of Kent, Canterbury, UK su: Scholarly method Neoliberalism Parasitism Symbiosis Ecosystems sug: subj: Scholarly method Neoliberalism Parasitism Symbiosis Ecosystems keyword: Foucault game of truth impure critique monsters and parasites subject as a vehicle of power symbiosis Foucault game of truth impure critique monsters and parasites subject as a vehicle of power symbiosis ab: This article brings together two distinct research trajectories – the growing characterization of neoliberalism as a monster and the recent debate on whether Foucault was a neoliberal – to investigate a dimension that these bodies of scholarship have not examined: our involvement in neoliberalism's reproduction. To this end, the article introduces the concept of 'symbiotic neoliberalism'. Drawing on the notion of parasitic neoliberalism (which underpins depictions of neoliberalism as a monster) and on the study of ecosystems (which approaches parasitism as one of the manifestations of symbiosis), and building on Foucault's notion of the subject as a 'vehicle of power', I develop an account of neoliberalism as a symbiotic force that is not a monster ontologically separate from 'us' – the subjects that partake in its reproduction. I then use this framework to analyse Foucault's alleged fascination with neoliberalism. Rejecting the thesis of 'neoliberal Foucault', I suggest that his seemingly sympathetic stances may be read both as an (un)conscious endorsement of certain features of neoliberalism and an attempt to challenge its 'game of truth' by 'playing it differently'. In this symbiotic neoliberalism – embodied by Foucault's persona and inspired by his approach – the subject as a 'vehicle of power' is neither solely a victim nor merely an endorser of the neoliberal system but a combination of both. This dual capacity allows for the articulation of an impure critique of neoliberalism that begins with the recognition of our symbiotic/impure entanglement in its 'regime of truth'. pubtype: Academic Journal doctype: Article src: R language: English refInfo: copyright: @attributes: flag: N holdings: @attributes: islocal: N |
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