Politics & Governance / Political Philosophy & Theory / Liberalism & Ideology

Neoliberalism s Demons-he legitimacy logic of neoliberalism as a vertical paradigm of domination

Neoliberalism's Demons: On the Political Theology of Late Capital

Adam Kotsko

The Evil of Neoliberalism: On the Political Theology of Late Capitalism (Adam Kotsko) 新自由主义的恶魔：政治神学论纲 This book's source code guide delves into the legitimacy logic of neoliberalism as a vertical paradigm of domination from the perspective of political theology. Author Adam Kotsko challenges the traditional view of politics and economics as separate spheres, arguing that neoliberalism is not merely economic policy, but a contemporary "theology" operating through moral trapping. Its core requirement is to use freedom as a mechanism for generating blame: the system guides individualism to make so-called "free choices" among limited options, attributing the failures of social structures to individual decisions. Starting from the ancient theological debate on evil and the system of will, the article traces to modern prisons and the global financial crisis, revealing how this system uses theodicy to threaten the responsibility of institutions of power, and ultimately calls for exploring a truly autonomous human freedom free from the shackles of neoliberalism in today's crisis of legitimacy collapse.