Neoliberalism Against Society? Spontaneous Order and Governance of Desire in Digital Societies
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 2371229 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Luca Mavelli (0000-0002-6163-2971, University of Kent, corresponding author), Antonio Cerella (0000-0002-6417-091X, Nottingham Trent University) |
| Year | 2025 |
| Volume | 51 |
| Issue | 7-8 |
| Pages | 1485-1505 |
| Publication date | 2025-11-01 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Critical Sociology (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0896-9205 • E-ISSN: 1569-1632 |
| Publisher | SAGE Publications Inc (PUBLISHER) |
| DOI | 10.1177/08969205241287067 |
| OpenAlex | W4403225942 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 1 |
| References cited | 45 |
Critical scholarship often argues that neoliberalism has caused the 'crisis' or 'destruction' of society. Drawing on Foucault's concept of power as 'productive' and focusing on digital societies, we argue that neoliberalism seeks not to dismantle society but to create societies that govern desires through market freedom. We explore Friedrich Hayek's idea that a free society is not based on social well-being or equality, but on spontaneous norms arising from the market order. Digital societies, we contend, are neoliberal but not spontaneous; they emerge from the market order yet are shaped by algorithmic codes that intercept, manipulate, amplify, and promote the voluntary self-exploitation of individual desires. The article combines the latest critical scholarship on neoliberalism with a fresh interpretation of Hayek's thought and recent work on digital societies and algorithmic governance, highlighting the often-overlooked role of desire in the neoliberal governance of the digital age
Biopower · Corporate governance · Economic system · Economics · Financialization · Market economy · Political economy · Political science · Politics · Sociology · Spontaneous order · Digital Economy and Work Transformation · Digital Games and Media · Law · Social Media and Politics
Neoliberal Culture
Histoire de la sexualité, Tome I
Studies in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics
A Theory of Semiotics
Constructions of Neoliberal Reason
Libidinal Economy
The Platform Society
Governing digital societies
A theory of social media dependence
Neoliberalism and Education
Discipline and Punish
Spreadable Media
The Government of Desire
Communicating Covid-19
Globalists
The Transparency Society
Digital Platforms and Algorithmic Subjectivities
Popular Culture and New Media
The Power of Market Fundamentalism
In the Ruins of Neoliberalism
Our world was made by nature’
Moving Beyond Market Fundamentalism to a More Balanced Economy
Neoliberalism, necessitarianism and alternatives in Latin America
Exposure to Neoliberalism Increases Resentment of the Elite via Feelings of Anomie and Negative Psychological Reactions
Brief History of Neoliberalism
Algorithmic Reason
Grasping the future of the digital society
Stand out of our Light
Machine learning political orders
Great Transformation
Undoing the Demos
Law, Code and Exploitation
Staying with the Secret
Pastoral Power and Algorithmic Governmentality
Popular Culture, Digital Archives and the New Social Life of Data
The Society of Algorithms
| Unique citing works | 1 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 1 |
| Citation span | 2025 - 2025 (1) |
| Citation velocity | recent |
| Highly cited | No |