Michel Foucault’s The Birth of Biopolitics is generally acknowledged as a pioneering study of neoliberalism, presenting it not merely as an economic theory but also as a mode of government. There is much debate, however, on Foucault’s intentions in analysing neoliberalism and the place of the genealogy in his broader critical project. The Birth of Biopolitics itself lacks both an explicit judgement of neoliberalism and an explicit ethical program. In this article, I maintain that Foucault’s genealogical work on neoliberalism is complementary to his notions of agency. From this perspective, Foucault’s genealogy is not a judgement of neoliberalism in terms of right or wrong but rather serves as a breeding ground for ethical conduct. The notion of the critical attitude in particular shows that Foucault’s genealogical work stands in the service of the subject’s autonomy. However, Foucault is reluctant to fill in his ethical program too much because it should gain substance only in local struggles and through the subject’s own considerations.

米歇尔·福柯 (Michel Foucault) 的《生命政治的诞生》被普遍认为是对新自由主义的开创性研究，不仅将其呈现为一种经济理论，而且将其呈现为一种政府模式。然而，关于福柯分析新自由主义的意图以及谱系在他更广泛的批评项目中的地位，存在很多争论。生命政治的诞生其本身既缺乏对新自由主义的明确判断，也缺乏明确的伦理纲领。在这篇文章中，我认为福柯关于新自由主义的谱系研究是对他的能动性概念的补充。从这个角度来看，福柯的谱系不是对新自由主义的对错判断，而是作为伦理行为的温床。批判态度的概念尤其表明福柯的谱系工作是为主体的自主性服务的。然而，福柯不愿过多地填充他的伦理纲领，因为它只有在局部斗争中并通过主体自身的考虑才能获得实质内容。