ABSTRACT
To study the neoliberalisation of penality, in line with the theoretical framework laid out, the following chapters will focus on the four main areas mentioned: the labour market, social policy, the penal system, and, in this chapter, the key question of individualism. The influence of individualism is fundamental because it orients the understanding of what the role of the state should be and what the most appropriate way to articulate public policies looks like. Thus, first, utilitarian individualism is explained, its connections to neoliberalism and the cult of the individual it promotes, along with the sacralisation of the market. Thus, neoliberalism is explored as a Durkheimian religion to better understand the role of the state, the market, and the individual in the neoliberal sociodicy. The chapter reflects on the consequences that such a view can have in the expansion of the penal system and in the transformation of labour market and social policy. The chapter closes with an analysis of the surveys carried out in Spain relating to crime explanations.
