Alasdair Dow
MA Sociology
lsd18ztq@bangor.ac.uk
The title screams heresy, and I may add it is meant to
suggest that the dominant philosophy in our lives, the one the majority of
academics either praise as a wonder, or curse as a monstrosity, is now dead and
buried. It will not be a comforting thought to many who have devoted much time
and energy to studying its effect on society. The screams of ‘It cannot be
true’ may ring loud, resonating from a belief that neoliberalism has somehow
faked its demise and merely undergone an identity change. However, I would like
to very shyly and politely suggest that neoliberalism is dead, and it is time
to write its eulogy. The eulogy provided here will not speak ill of the dead,
but neither will it glorify the passing of the neoliberal world view. I aim to
not focus on trivialities. The tone set is provocative and I hope will invite
some dialogue, even passionate discussion. I will apologise for my unashamed
dismissal of the academic consensus that neoliberalism is alive and well: it is
dead and we should indulge in a respectful silence, even mourn it.
