Candide's Path. Subjective Reactions to Neoliberalism in Chile (2000-2018 (original) (raw)
The relationship of Chilean population with the neoliberal economic model has been part of academic and public discussion. In these debates, there have been several false equivalencies (resignation with acceptation) and superficial readings (what exactly means that people are discontent with the model?) The idea of a neoliberal subjectivity that it does not depend on legitimacy has grown in importance in recent years, but at the same time we should take on account that simply living under neoliberalism, to know how to act in it, do not constitute in itself a neoliberal subjectivity. To understand subjectivity under neoliberalism we need a more complex view. We propose in this paper that empirically the relationship with the neoliberal model has at least four layers in Chie: The first on the evaluation of the economic situation, the second about the 'naturalization' of the model (the world works that way), the third about self-image and the fourth about moral evaluation. We argue that neoliberalism has been embraced more on cognitive than in moral levels: Neoliberalism was more effective in deleting the credibility of alternatives that in to generate an embrace of the model itself. The neoliberal model was able to create its reproduction through discontent: The refuge in personal life (to tend the garden as in Voltaire's Candide) did create consumer and work behaviours that the model wanted. The current crisis shows the limits of that adaptation; but this subjective relationship with neoliberalism in contexts when it was not accepted neither generated a pure neoliberal subjectivity shows that to underestimate its ability to reproduce itself could be a mistake.
Sign up for access to the world's latest research.
checkGet notified about relevant papers
checkSave papers to use in your research
checkJoin the discussion with peers
checkTrack your impact
Loading Preview
Sorry, preview is currently unavailable. You can download the paper by clicking the button above.