In the late 1980s and early 1990s, Francis Fukuyama argued that we have arrived at the “end of history” by which he means: “What we may be witnessing is not just the end of the Cold War, or the passing of a particular period of postwar 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.”
Do you agree with this position? Is totalitarianism an out-moded concept in today’s world? What would Arendt say to this?
1 comments:
I have neither read Fukuyama's arguments, nor i really understand what he means by "western liberal democracy," whether his emphasis is on the political system, "free" markets, both? However, if we believe that we have come to an "end point of mankind's ideological evolution" in the sense that no novel "big" ideas (whatever that means) will come, this still does not mean that we will stick with the same type of government forever. Totalitarianism, Arendt would argue, can certainly come back if the conditions that she claims breed this type of government or state ("political system" is perhaps more appropriate?) make a return... So, what are those conditions? Perhaps the most important is the existence of an apolitical (and angry towards the oligarchy) mob, which a leader/party can effectively co-opt and bring into the political process (perhaps even use democracy as a means for the totalitarian movement to take office). This has to be large enough for it to have enough political leverage in society to do away with classes, and create that irresistible force which will give the movement momentum.
There are other conditions which I do not have time at the moment to go into, but for before closing, I want to point out that when I was reading this work, I felt as if many of the more or less important arguments (such as that the elite is fascinated by "the possibility that gigantic lies and monstrous falsehoods can eventually be established as unquestioned facts" (333)) seem to require much more evidence of another sort. They seem to stretch the capabilities of political science a bit to much, to the point that what seems to be an opinion is presented as fact. I would be interested to see what the sociological work on this respect has to say...
Sebastian
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