Neoliberalism was not a unified phenomenon. Even the name of the doctrine was a problem: Louis Baudin preferred “individualism,” Louis Rougier “positive liberalism,” while Jacques Rueff favored “left-wing liberalism.” The term neoliberalism became prevalent only after the Colloque for strategic reasons: “the words ‘neo’ and ‘renovation,’ declared Louis Marlio, . . . “distinguish us from several authors of whom we did not accept all the practical theories and all objections [against] interventions which are accepted by most of us like perfectly normal things. For those who know it, . . . the word ‘neo’ is perhaps not essential, but for those who do not know it, it is totally useful.” To be “neoliberal” was supposed to imply the recognition that “laissez-faire” economics was not enough and that, in the name of liberalism, a modern economic policy was needed.

Philip Mirowski & Dieter Plehwe (eds.), The Road from Mont Pèlerin, loc. 279