2026/05/04 by Gabriel Benzecry, Daniel J. Smith · 1 voice
Economics, Econometrics and Finance · Social Sciences · #Economic Theory and Institutions #Economic and Social Issues #Political Economy and Marxism
paper · doi:10.1080/10370196.2026.2657674
openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex publication_date 2026/05/04 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/15
Walter Lippmann is widely regarded as a prominent figure in the liberal movement of the early twentieth century. The 1938 Walter Lippmann Colloquium in Paris is often seen as a pivotal intellectual response to the global rise of collectivism, marking the early articulation of what later came to be known-primarily by critics-as "neoliberalism." While Lippmann has received considerable attention as a public intellectual, less scholarly attention has focused on tracing the influences and contentions with economists he experienced while developing his political economy. Using Lippmann's archived correspondence with economists, we argue that Lippmann, when it came to his economic ideas, was an original thinker unbound by any single orthodoxy. Rather, his ideas reflect a synthesis of diverse perspectives shaped by his intellectual exchanges. Consequently, we contend that the common characterization of Walter Lippmann as the father of neoliberalism is inaccurate, given the absence of any clear orthodoxy in his thought and the lack of alignment with economists commonly associated with this movement.