Neoliberalism and its criticism by well-known defenders of the market order

Abstract

The article critically examines the philosophy of neoliberalism. The author finds a wide destructive potential of neoliberalism for society and the state. The privatization promoted by the neoliberal ideology, the withdrawal of the state from the economic and social spheres, the rejection of protectionism have a negative impact on the development of the economy and on the standard of living of society. The economic freedom exalted by liberal philosophy makes it possible for speculative activity to develop. Ethical foundations are undermined by the substitution of personal responsibility for social protection. Liberal philosophy creates numerous myths, with the help of which an ideological defense of the growth of inequality and many other socially unacceptable results of the functioning of the liberal economic and political system is built. The article proves the mythological nature of liberal theses about free competition and equality of chances, about hard work as the key to success. The unreasonableness of pairing neoliberalism with democracy is postulated. Anti-democracy seems to be inherent in neoliberalism. The social disfunctionality of neoliberal reforms and their anti-national character are proved. The growth of inequality, the loss of sovereignty by states, the expansion of poverty, the development of the corporate sector (including socially irresponsible speculative capital) is a natural result of the functioning of the neoliberal project. This project is a methodology in the hands of transnational business for opening up the economies of sovereign states and enslaving societies. The growth of inequality in the world is associated with the policy of neoliberal reforms. The modern “postmodern economy” is characterized by virtualization, simulacrization, and financial speculation. In the article, the greatest attention is paid to the development of the speculative financial sector, which has become widespread due to the implementation of neoliberal policies. Financial speculation is considered as a socially harmful phenomenon, bearing its share of responsibility for the growth of inequality. Special attention in the article is paid to the recently expressed positions of analysts who have long stood on the ideological ground of defending neoliberalism. However, it is interesting that due to the disastrous results that this project brings to humanity, they have in some way changed their attitude towards it.