Monday, June 13, 2022

Francis Fukuyama, Liberalism and its Discontents.

 


- The eminent American political scientist Francis Fukuyama, author of the highly influential and controversial 1992 book The End of History And The Last Man, has written a substantial, insightful, yet concise overview of the stresses and strains on liberal democracies in today's messy and pretty ugly world.

- Occasionally it doesn’t hurt to step back and reflect on the bigger picture. And Fukuyama has done that superbly. His new book is conceptually very clear and well argued. It's measured, sane and fair in its assessment of the contrary forces at play. He critiques both the left and the right, calling out the extremes in both.

- Liberalism is not a perfect political system by any means. Centred on the autonomy and freedom of the individual, it has failed to recognise essential human needs such as community and group identity, and the basic need to belong. It has failed to recognise the significance of groups. That is so obvious today.   

The dust cover description sums the book up perfectly:








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