The Politics Of Time (original) (raw)
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Fukuyama’s basic proposition in the article “The End of History” and later in his book was that “a remarkable consensus concerning the legitimacy of liberal democracy as a system of government had emerged throughout the world over the past few years”. This proposition was based on his interpretation of the history of the twentieth century that liberal democracy had finally conquered rival ideologies like hereditary monarchy, fascism and Marxism. Under this perspective he argued that liberal democracy as a form of governance to run free market economy has finally triumphed as the ultimate “form of human government". He then put forward the main contention of his thesis that civilization has reached the "end point of ideological evolution” of mankind and, therefore, constituted a phase of history that he referred to as the "end of history." He explained that while inherently existing fundamental irrationalities in other forms of government for obvious reasons demonstrated serious flaws that led to their ultimate downfall, liberal democracy, on the other hand, being free from such fundamental inherent contradictions has been able to become victorious against all odds. In his opinion, if any kind of serious injustice or social problems is still exiting in liberal democracy, this is because of “incomplete implementation of the twin principles of liberty and equality on which modern democracy is founded, rather than of flaws in the principles themselves.” Fukuyama drew on the philosophy of Hegel, who defined history as a gradual progression through evolutionary process of distinguishably different epochs - from tribal to feudal to industrial society. For Marx, within the foreseeable future, this revolutionary journey of history would be ended with communism; on the contrary, Fukuyama has announced “the end” of that journey of history at the present phase where the civilization has already reached. In this article we try to understand Fukuyama’s interpretation of history with reference to Peronist movement in Argentina
Radical Future Pasts? An Anti-Introduction
Just when they appear to be engaged in the revolutionary transformation of themselves and their material surroundings, in the creation of something that does not yet exist, precisely in such epochs of revolutionary crisis they timidly conjure up the spirits of the past to help them; they borrow their names, battle slogans, and costumes so as to stage the new world historical scene in this venerable disguise and borrowed language.
CRITICAL THEORY AND THE END OF HISTORY THESIS: A COMPARATION
SOCIAL EDU: Jurnal Ilmu Sosial dan Pendidikan, 2024
This paper examines the contrasting perspectives of the Frankfurt School and Francis Fukuyama on the direction and purpose of human history. The Frankfurt School, a group of critical theorists, offered a radical critique of modernity and capitalism, arguing that history is a continuous process of struggle and change driven by underlying societal contradictions. They view liberal democracy as a form of domination and advocate for a radical transformation of society. In contrast, Fukuyama's "end of history" thesis posits that liberal democracy represents the final stage of human political evolution, marking the end of ideological conflict. This paper explores the fundamental differences between these two perspectives, particularly their views on history, ideology, and the potential for social change.
Convergence of Ideas?: Analysing Fukuyama's and Huntington's Concepts of the Future
We are in an unprecedented idyllic era, although the world is considerably less violent, there are regions plagued with by protracted conflicts. Sectarian violence within regions and countries have spilled over into the west resulting in a migration crisis. Along with highlighting the weakness of the European Asylum system it has brought forward the emerging battle of ideals between the Muslim world and Western democracies. Considering Francis Fukuyama's and Samuel P. Huntington's arguments for global relations-We are at the nexus of these two ideas; Either liberal democracy has finally become the global hegemony establishing economic cooperation and an era of peace, or alternatively, a multi-polar and civilization-divergent order could characterize the state of the world. The debate between Fukuyama and Huntington began more than 20 years ago. In light of current affairs in Europe and processes in the Middle East, their concepts have become even more relevant. In The End of History (1989), Fukuyama argues that because of the rise of modernization, the worldwide spread of Western consumer culture and liberal democracy as the prevailing political system, that the evolution of human ideology is at its endpoint and in the absence of a better alternative. In contrast, Huntington in The Clash of Civilizations (1993), argues that the biggest threat to Western civilization is a coming period that will be characterized by conflicts erupting as the world's civilizations reach their breaking points. This paper will consider both concepts and synthesize their opposing views on international political developments.
Postmodernism, Marxism and Versions of the Future. An Interview with Professor Martin Jay
Through his interest in postmodernism and in criticism to metanarratives, in this interview Professor Martin Jay tackles some of the main issues that have lately focused the attention of historical theory. Topics such as the turn towards historical experience, Hayden White's contribution to understanding of narratives and language, or the importance of Fredric Jameson, are brought up in this text. Professor Jay also comes back to some of his former well-known themes such as the so-called French Theory, the German philosopher Theodor W. Adorno and the presence of Marxism in the United States.