Invisible networks and thought collectives: the utility of historical social network analysis in the study of organized neoliberalism

Dieter Plehwe

EconStor Open Access Articles and Book Chapters, 2026, vol. 33, issue 4, 826 pages

Abstract: While accounts of the rise of neoliberalism typically start with the political history of Thatcherism and Reaganomics, the focus on the conceptual and social history of organised neoliberalism – the Mont Pèlerin Society (MPS) studies project – traces the origins in the inter-war period when intellectuals began to organise regular meetings and think tanks. The Fabian Society served as a model for Hayek’s effort to organise the Mont Pèlerin Society, underscoring the broader importance of studying organised intellectuals, their allies and methods in a comprehensive way relying on the tools of historical social network analysis and situated prosopography (group biography).

Keywords: Global network; neoliberalism; thought collectives; Mont Pèlerin Society; Fabian Society (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: B2 B20 B3 B30 B4 B40 Z1 Z18 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2026
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:zbw:espost:344050

DOI: 10.1080/09672567.2026.2698476

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