The Colloque Walter Lippmann was a meeting of intellectuals organized in Paris in August 1938 by French philosopher Louis Rougier. After the 1920s and 1930s saw a decline in the interest for classical liberalism the aim was to construct a new Liberalism as a rejection of collectivism, socialism and laissez-faire liberalism.[1] At that meeting the term neoliberalism was coined by Alexander Rüstow referring to the rejection of the (old) laissez-faire liberalism.[2]
The meeting was named after Walter Lippmann, an American journalist whose new book La Cité libre was studied in detail at the meeting." 26 intellectuals took part in this meeting, including some of the most prominent liberal thinkers : Walter Lippmann, Wilhelm Röpke, Alexander Rüstow, Friedrich Hayek, Ludwig von Mises, Michael Polanyi, Raymond Aron, Louis Rougier, Jacques Rueff etc. and some entrepreneurs Ernest Mercier etc.
The participants chose to set up an organization to promote liberalism but it had few consequences because of the war. Nonetheless, it inspired Friedrich Hayek in the creation of the Mont Pelerin Society.