The Bastard Children of Neoliberalism
Summary
Host Thomas Small interviews historian Quinn Slobodian about his book *Hayek’s Bastards*, which traces how neoliberal thought evolved into far-right ideologies. They discuss how figures like Murray Rothbard and Charles Murray twisted Friedrich Hayek’s ideas to support racial hierarchy and biological determinism. The conversation explores the intellectual lineage connecting libertarian economics to modern authoritarian politics and the far right.
Topics discussed
Intro, World Cup updates, and sponsor ads
Episode overview: Hayek's Bastards and Quinn Slobodian
Host and guest introductions and political backgrounds
Why neoliberals were depressed after the fall of communism
Slobodian's intellectual journey and the 1999 WTO protests
Friedrich Hayek's knowledge problem and cultural evolution
Introducing Hayek's Bastards: Rothbard, Brimelow, and Gold Bugs
Host's confessional: past attraction to reactionary thought
The appeal of fringe ideas and the book's target audience
Hayek's later views on race, civilization, and hierarchy
Cultural Austrians vs. Racial Austrians and scientism
The Bell Curve, IQ, and the political use of science
Murray Rothbard: from hippie outreach to white nationalism
Secessionism, HOAs, and the post-collapse libertarian dream
Critique of the 'fringe' narrative and mainstream influence
Outro, credits, and final sponsor messages
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