what is neoliberalism? how does it define society?

Neo-liberalism is a highly individualistic philosophy, based on a view of individuals as rational economic actors - for this reason it is often referred to as free market liberalism. As a philosophy it places overriding value on the (negative) freedom of the individual.

In contrast to other forms of liberalism, neo-liberalism places the individual over society, or even denies the existence of society. As Margaret Thatcher (although a far from consistent neo-liberal) once said 'There is no such thing as society, only individuals and their families' (it would have been a better quote if she hadn't mentioned families!)

There is no such thing as "neoliberalism" because "liberalism" by definition already refers to progressive change. However, there is a phenomenon in the U.S. that has been called "neoconservativism," in which people are particularly anti-liberal. If we look at the definition of liberalism (from Webster's collegiate dictionary, 10th edition):

"A political philosophy based on belief in progress, the essential goodness of the human race, and the autonomy [freedom] of the individual and standing for the protection of political and civil liberties. "

So when you are an anti-liberal, which I contend is what neoconservativism is about, this is what you're saying:

anti-liberalism: An ideology based on no belief in progress, the essential evil of the human race, the enslavement of the individual and standing for no protection of political and civil liberties.

"Liberalism" does not define a society, it defines what some people's political beliefs gravitate toward, and that's it. Candidates who are defined as being conservative or liberal usually means very little, albeit not to you if you are an anti-liberal, in which case your code of behavior is such that you're supposed to immediately hate the "liberal." Even if Jesus Christ was a "liberal" the neoconservative has to hate Jesus.

An ideology does not define society; people define society.

I have not heard this term, but I would surmise that it means extremely liberal. The term cannot particularly define society, only particular people, unless it can be shown that an entire society conforms to such an ideology.

The prefix "neo" usually refers to a revival. In the case of liberalism, it would probably refer to reaching back to the early application of the term liberal, and this is what the dictionary defines.

Modern liberalism is more akin to the socialism of the 1930's in Germany. Where the populace had drifted into a condition near that of pacifism due to having been in constant wars for generations.

Hitler was a liberal, as was Stalin, and Mao Tse-tung. Each took the liberalism of a portion of his nation, and instituted a neoliberalism in its stead. Their neoliberalism was not in the classic definition of neoliberalism however, in that it immediately shifted into a dictatorship which simply used the people as a means of perpetuating the dictatorship.

Modern liberalism has a similar thrust to it, in that it is decidedly not a return to a classical liberal format, but is a neoliberalism quite similar to that of Mao, but without the Yang MIND energy of Mao. That is, modern liberalism has the socialist need for control of the populace as part of its structure, and places trust in the government rather than the people, but this American neoliberalism has none of the robust Yang energy of Mao to go along with it. Modern American neoliberalism utilizes the Yin energy nature of the MIND in an attempt to control via deception, deviousness, and by vindictiveness. This, of course, is due to a dominance of fear of ones own Esoteric realms within oneself.

The neoliberalism of America today is perhaps not surprising given liberal control of the major sources of learning for American youth for 40 or more years. The rise of feminism, or the acting male by females, and the corresponding loss of Yang energy among males,

are the expected symptoms of a steady denial of Yang energy in the nation due to a fear of Yang energy within those heading the government, and in positions to influence the education of youth.

How this has defined society is what we find today. A divided nation, half of which are inclined toward the Yin attributes of the MIND, and half clinging to the Yang attributes, but having those legislated out of existence as rapidly as the liberals of today can arrange to do so.

The question perhaps is this: Will it take an intense threatening of the entire nation to stimulate those with Yang capacity to assert themselves and bring vitality back into the populace, or will the liberal fear of Yang energy continue to define society until the nation as a whole is no longer capable of defending itself?

strange thing is a neo liberal is what is commonly known as a free market conservative. in the u.k. during the 19th century, the liberals were the party of bankers and industrialists who opposed export and import tariffs and any restrictions on business. the conservatives, as their name suggests, were the aristocratic party of keeping the economic balance in favour of landed interests, themselves. the lib-dems in the UK may be the direct descendants of the liberals, but ' new labour' and the tories are its bastard children. see this site

don't know, my opinion is that it is like Liberal Democrats.