Diotima: The Marist Undergraduate Philosophy Journal
claim about how neoliberalism in capitalist societies still reinforces a culture that
upholds capitalist ideals, and, therefore, it cannot be presented as an effective cure
to social disparities. 24
For instance, 20th-century economist Friedrich Von Hayek is known as one of the
grandfathers of neoliberalism, and he argued that democracy is the best form of
government as long as most of its populace values individual liberty, the Rule of
Law, and limited government. 25 Hayek does not see democracy primarily as “a way
of life” but as practical procedures and mana ging the government. He emphasizes
that democracy also lacks substantive ends or principles that are fundamental for
democratic rule, which leaves Hayek with no grounds to object against totalitarian
democracies.
On the same note, Hayek’s account of neoli beralism shares a slight
resemblance to the Fascist dictator of Italy Benito Mussolini, whose account of
fascism in “ The Doctrine of Fascism ” in the sense that both theoretical frameworks
offer a similar view of human nature. 26 For Hayek, it is his concept of “the Rule of
Law,'' which he argues is based on liberal ideals, even though it still permits social
inequalities because of the supposed “benefits” it produces, which he claims
misguided “social justice” advocates undermine. For Mussolini , on the other hand, it
is his claim that inequality is an intrinsic quality of human nature and that citizens
do not have a natural right to freedom. He sees “freedom” as a kindness given to a
nation’s populace via the State since the survival of the state is more important
than the survival of the individual. Although neoliberalism attempts to feign moral
superiority over other theoretical frameworks by arguing that capitalist economic
practices such as the free market, minimal state intervention, and maximization of
24 Robert E. Mutch, “Colonial America and the Debate about Transition to Capitalism,” Theory and Society 9, no. 6 (1980): 847 – 63. http://www.jstor.org/stable/656804 . See also, C.F.S. Cardoso, ”On the Colonial Modes of Production of the Americas,“ Critique of Anthropology , 2(4-5), 1-37. https://doi.org/10.1177/0308275X7500100401. 25 Friedrich Hayek, New Studies in Philosophy, Politics, Economics, and the History of Ideas , (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1967). 26 Mussolini, Benito, Fascism: Doctrine and Institutions, (Rome: Ardita Publishers: 1935).
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Volume VI (2023)
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