Abstract

Neoliberalism has succeeded in reaching unprecedented levels of power and
domination. Despite this, the literature shows that many aspects of the history of neoliberalism
remain unclear. In this regard, this article discusses two notable aspects. The first is that
neoliberalism lacks a clear definition and is often confused with many other concepts. The
second aspect relates to the origins of neoliberalism, which are often reduced to a particular
version that does not necessarily reflect the deep roots of neoliberal thought. This article argues
that subjecting the history of neoliberal thought to scrutiny contributes to removing
many of the ambiguities associated with these two aspects. On the one hand, it allows identifying
the different interpretations of neoliberalism, and on the other hand, it shows the fact
that neoliberalism emerged in the midst of the crisis of classical liberalism and as a reaction
to the expansion of collectivism.

JEL Classification: B00