If you type ‘neuroliberal’ into Google, the search engine assumes you’ve made a typographical error and helpfully shows you the results for ‘neoliberal’ instead. This algorithmic blip is actually a useful starting point for introducing an important idea in politics.
‘Neuroliberalism’ refers to the use of psychological techniques to shape human behaviour in free societies. As a political project it has become particularly popular over the last decade, during which it has been deployed to address the evident shortcomings of neoliberal society and its associated systems of government.
First and foremost, neuroliberalism offers a more realistic account of human behaviour. Neoliberalism is a system of government that assumes that rational action is the norm, but in the wake of The Great Recession, the Climate Emergency and public health crises, this assumption looks increasingly tenuous.
