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Science and Neoliberalism: From the Critique of Planning to Competition and Think Tanks (1930–2000)
Wissen(schaft) im Neoliberalismus: Von Planungskritik zu Wettbewerb und Think-Tanks (1930–2000)
Last Updated: 2026-02-05 16:02:02
Abstract
From its beginning, the history of neoliberal thought has been linked to debates about the status of knowledge in society. In the seminar, students learn to understand fundamental debates in the theory of science in their political and economic contexts; moreover, we explore to what extent neoliberal thinkers actually shaped specific forms of science policy and research funding in the 20th century
Objective
The seminar promotes an understanding of seminal texts in the early philosophy of science (M. Polanyi, J.D. Bernal, etc.) in the context of ideological struggles in the 1930s and 1940s and of the debates about knowledge, science, and society at that time. Moreover, it provides insights into the political and economic foundations of funding policies for education, science, and research that were developed since the 1970s.
Content
Neoliberalism is considered one of the most influential economic currents since the last decades of the 20th century. However, neoliberalism not only has a much longer history, going back to the ideological struggles of the 1930s. Since then, it has also been closely linked to debates about the status of knowledge and science in society. Theorists of science, such as Michael Polanyi, were part of neoliberal discussion circles; economists, such as Friedrich Hayek, developed decentered forms of knowledge as part of market processes. In this way, they criticized the contemporary demand for economic planning and the idea of science serving social needs. Competition and the market were subsequently regarded as the most important driving forces for scientific and economic innovation.
Resources
Literature
– Martin Beddeleem: Fighting for the Mantle of Science. The Epistemological Foundations of Neoliberalism, 1931–1951, PhD Thesis: University of Montreal 2017. – Daniel Stedman Jones: Masters of the Universe. Hayek, Friedman, and the Birth of Neoliberal Politics. Princeton 2012. – Philip Mirowski, Dieter Plehwe (Hg.): The Road from Mont-Pèlerin. The Making of the Neoliberal Thought Collective. Harvard 2009. – Mary Jo Nye: Michael Polanyi and His Generation. Origins of the Social Construction of Science. Chicago 2011. – Dieter Plehwe, Quinn Slobodian, Philip Mirowski (Hg.): Nine Lives of Neoliberalism. London 2020. – Elizabeth Popp Berman: Creating the Market University. How Academic Science Became an Economic Engine. Princeton 2012. – Quinn Slobodian: Globalists. The End of Empire and the Birth of Neoliberalism. Harvard 2018.
General Information
- Language
- German
- Levels
- DS , DR , MSC
Examination
- Type
- graded semester performance
Registration & Places
- Max Places
- 36
Course Components
| Type | Title | Time & Place | Hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| seminar | Wissen(schaft) im Neoliberalismus: Von Planungskritik zu Wettbewerb und Think-Tanks (1930–2000) |
|
2 h weekly |
Offered In
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Science in Perspective (In “Science in Perspective”-courses students learn to reflect on ETH’s STEM subjects from the perspective of humanities, political and social sciences. Only the courses listed below will be recognized as "Science in Perspective" courses.)
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Type A: Enhancement of Reflection Competence (SiP courses are recommended for bachelor students after their first-year examination and for all master- or doctoral students. All SiP courses are listed in Type A. Courses listed under Type B are only recommendations for enrollment for specific departments.)
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Doctorate Humanities, Social and Political Sciences (More Information at: )