The End of History
_ The publication of Francis Fukuyama’s seminal essay entitled ‘The End of History and the Last Man’ was one of the most important and influential essays written during the 20th Century. The reason why the essay created such a stir was not only because of some of is startling conclusions but also of the geo-political context in which it was published. This post will briefly consider both the major contributions made by Fukuyama and the unique historical context in which the essay was published.
The historical analysis provided by Fukuyama suggested that history had reached an end point with the demise of the Soviet Union. Whilst previous thinkers such as Karl Marx suggested that communism formed the final stage of evolution in terms of human social relations Fukuyama argued that it was a particularly Western conception of liberal democracy that had proven itself to be the ultimate stage of human social evolution. Fukuyama argued that history would come to an end when human society converged upon the “universal homogenous state” (Fukuyama 1989: p.5). In this state “all prior contradictions are resolved and all human needs are satisfied. There is no struggle or conflict over large issues and consequently no need for generals and statesmen, what remains is primarily economic activity” (Fukuyama 1989: p.5). According to Fukuyama, this universal homogenous state was Western liberal democracy and the collapse of the Soviet Union marked one of the most fundamentally transformative moments in human history. “What we may be witnessing is not just the end of the Cold War, or the passing of a particular period of post-war history, but the end of history as such: that is, the end point of mankind's ideological evolution and the universalization of Western liberal democracy as the final form of human government” (Fukuyama, 1992).
Needless to say the idea that human history had reached an end point was a highly controversial and problematic thesis. However, the geo-political context in which the essay was published ensured that Fukuyama’s thesis gained considerable academic traction within the IR community. The period in which Fukuyama developed his thesis, between 1989 and 1992, saw not only the fall of Communism but also the rise of the United States to lone superpower status, what some have termed unipolarity. The invasion of Kuwait and the US-led United Nations response created a feeling that change of fundamental proportions had taken place in human affairs and President George Bush defined this as a ‘New World Order’. It is important therefore when analysing Fukuyama’s essay to always bear in mind the unique geo-political contexts in which his thesis and ideas emerged (for a fuller exploration of the geo-political context please visit http://essayroom.com/blog/international-relations-since-the-end-of-the-cold-war-chapter-1-a-new-world-order)
The historical analysis provided by Fukuyama suggested that history had reached an end point with the demise of the Soviet Union. Whilst previous thinkers such as Karl Marx suggested that communism formed the final stage of evolution in terms of human social relations Fukuyama argued that it was a particularly Western conception of liberal democracy that had proven itself to be the ultimate stage of human social evolution. Fukuyama argued that history would come to an end when human society converged upon the “universal homogenous state” (Fukuyama 1989: p.5). In this state “all prior contradictions are resolved and all human needs are satisfied. There is no struggle or conflict over large issues and consequently no need for generals and statesmen, what remains is primarily economic activity” (Fukuyama 1989: p.5). According to Fukuyama, this universal homogenous state was Western liberal democracy and the collapse of the Soviet Union marked one of the most fundamentally transformative moments in human history. “What we may be witnessing is not just the end of the Cold War, or the passing of a particular period of post-war history, but the end of history as such: that is, the end point of mankind's ideological evolution and the universalization of Western liberal democracy as the final form of human government” (Fukuyama, 1992).
Needless to say the idea that human history had reached an end point was a highly controversial and problematic thesis. However, the geo-political context in which the essay was published ensured that Fukuyama’s thesis gained considerable academic traction within the IR community. The period in which Fukuyama developed his thesis, between 1989 and 1992, saw not only the fall of Communism but also the rise of the United States to lone superpower status, what some have termed unipolarity. The invasion of Kuwait and the US-led United Nations response created a feeling that change of fundamental proportions had taken place in human affairs and President George Bush defined this as a ‘New World Order’. It is important therefore when analysing Fukuyama’s essay to always bear in mind the unique geo-political contexts in which his thesis and ideas emerged (for a fuller exploration of the geo-political context please visit http://essayroom.com/blog/international-relations-since-the-end-of-the-cold-war-chapter-1-a-new-world-order)