A Comparative Study On Neo-liberalism And Neo-conservatism Of America

As two major social ideological trends in contemporary American society, either Neoliberalism or Neoconservatism has exerted great influence on the politics, economy, social life in the U.S. and international society. The author tries to apply methods such as comparative study, hermeneutics, and historical description to explore the similarities and differences between Neoliberalism and Neoconsevatism in the U.S. via a comparative perspective.The main content of this research are as follows:Chapter one introduces the connotation and history change to both neoliberalism and neoconservatism, they show new faces in contemporary American social thoughts field. Neoliberalism not only reinvigorates classical liberalism but also rethinks and criticizes Keynesianism. Neoconservatism undergoes two new changes as well. It inherits and develops traditional conservatism as well as absorbs the valuable things from conservative-liberalism. The two crises that occurred in 1930s and 1970s provided good opportunities for the emergence of these two thoughts. Neoliberalism experienced a hard development from Mont Pelerin to Washington and neoconservatism was finally formed under the construction of Leo Strauss, Irving Kristol, Ronald Reagan and William Kristol from its idea, movement, practice and structuring procedure.Chapter two focuses on the similarities and differences between Neoliberalism and Neoconservatism. as branches of American liberalism, they have common theoretical principal and value basis in some parts. For example, they assert free market economy, constitutional politics, democracy and personal value outlook and oppose socialism. Meanwhile, they held different opinions on a series of concrete problems, which split them up into two branches. These problems are how to achieve freedom, which have priority, individual and society or freedom and order, what is American international strategy and how to deal with the uprising China.Chapter three concludes the feature of contemporary American social ideological trend guided by neoliberalism and neoconservatism. The characteritics of contemporary American social thoughts determines that can coexist and play a critical role in American social thoughts field. In general, four aspects, the vitality of liberalism tradition is persistent through times, the competition of conservatism and radicalism, the combination of freedom and moral, the discussion on the problem of American friends and enemies, will be the main development trend of contemporary American social ideology and its motivation to further development.Based on all the above analysis, we can draw a conclusion that although neoliberalism and neoconservatism are sharing the value concept of liberalism to some extent, actually they are two widely different social ideological trends which can be differentiated by their content and feature.