Geohistory of “neoliberalism”

Abstract

Analysing how discourse on “neoliberalism” has spread spatially since the 1930s brings to light a series of geographical transpositions linked to recurrent semantic splits. The reference to “neoliberalism”, which first appeared in France and designated a European school of thought, has since been applied to various geographic areas (West Germany, the Latin American states, the world) to qualify contrasting political practices. These successive geo-semantic shifts have resulted in a polysemic, confusing and contradictory label. In these conditions, it seems necessary to try and better define the various forms of neoliberalism that structure the political organisation of different places and the societies that inhabit them.Keywords: spatial diffusion, intellectual discourses, Geography of ideas, geohistory, neoliberalism(s)