Emeritus lecture given at Aalborg University on October 31, 2003 - Oldspeak/Newspeak of (Neo)Liberalism on Development

In the present context of world affairs, there are good reasons to be sceptical of the way events and conflicts are explained and presented by politicians, their spindoctors and the media. It would not be surprising if future generations look upon our era as “the age of newspeak” or doublespeak: half-truths and lies being used to justify policies and actions which are in opposition to established norms of morality and decency grounded in the dominant democratic ideology. This article, based on the author’s Emeritus lecture, presents the impasse in development studies and argues for the inclusion of an international perspective as an alternative out of the stalemate.