Michael
Oct 19th 2008, 04:15 PM
Back in 1992, Francis Fukuyama published a book entitled The End of History and the Last Man.
It was Fukuyama's thesis that the end of the cold war had brought about the 'end of history' - and idea Fukuyama first raised in an essay in 1989. Essentially, Fukuyama argued that this 'victory' for liberal-democracy ended 'history', normatively defined as a record of the conflict between great powers. With the end of the cold war, there was understood to be no more 'great power' conflict, and thus, no more 'history'.
Now I admit that Fukuyama's thesis struck me as silly the first time I read it (back in 1992) and it just keeps looking sillier as time goes on. It should be obvious to everyone by now, including Francis Fukuyama himself, that history has not ended yet. Perhaps one phase of it has, but the great conflicts around the globe, and the failure of liberal-democracy to sweep away all that stands before it, is a testament to the fact that history appears to be alive and well.
So what do you think? Was Fukuyama smoking crack when he wrote that famous book that he received endless praise for? Is history really over?
It was Fukuyama's thesis that the end of the cold war had brought about the 'end of history' - and idea Fukuyama first raised in an essay in 1989. Essentially, Fukuyama argued that this 'victory' for liberal-democracy ended 'history', normatively defined as a record of the conflict between great powers. With the end of the cold war, there was understood to be no more 'great power' conflict, and thus, no more 'history'.
Now I admit that Fukuyama's thesis struck me as silly the first time I read it (back in 1992) and it just keeps looking sillier as time goes on. It should be obvious to everyone by now, including Francis Fukuyama himself, that history has not ended yet. Perhaps one phase of it has, but the great conflicts around the globe, and the failure of liberal-democracy to sweep away all that stands before it, is a testament to the fact that history appears to be alive and well.
So what do you think? Was Fukuyama smoking crack when he wrote that famous book that he received endless praise for? Is history really over?