1. ‘The End of History?’
Dr. Andy Mansfield

2. Francis Fukuyama 1980s Neoconservative: liberalism & US interests
‘The End of History?’ (1989): National Interest
The End of History and the Last Man (1992)

3. ‘The End of History?’ Article
Key Points:
Triumph of Liberalism – no alternatives
Reached the ‘end of history’ – no improvement on liberalism
Defeat of C20 opponents of liberalism – i.e. socialism and fascism
End of history a ‘sad time’ – homogenised world focused on economics and consumerism

4. The End of History Justify & explain article
Liberal democracy the ‘end point of ideological evolution’
Liberal democracy free from contradictions
The final form of government

5. What is the End of History?
‘[W]hat I suggested had come to an end was not the occurrence of events, even large and grave events, but History: that is, history understood as a single, coherent, evolutionary process, when taking into account the experience of all the peoples in all the times’
Evolution/ history not open-ended
End: satisfies deepest & most fundamental longings
Hegel: the liberal state
Marx: communist society

6. Recognition & the Historical Process
Hegel: desire for recognition & accompanying emotions drive ‘the historical process’
Plato (Republic): Tripartite soul:
(i) Desiring part: seek outside self
(ii) Reasoning: calculate best way to obtain
(iii) ‘Spiritedness’ (thymos): need for recognition of own worth = innate sense of worth (shame & pride)
Plato (c. 428 – c. 347 BCE)

7. Hegel’s Historical Process
G W F Hegel ( )
Desire for recognition
‘First Man’: Battle to the death for prestige
Division of Mankind:
Master (willing to risk his life)
Slave (gave in to fear of death)
Lack of recognition ignites further stages of history

8. Hegel’s Universal History
‘The History of the world is none other than the progress of the consciousness of freedom’ – Hegel
Growth of equality & human freedom
Stages: Despot, Classical, Constitutionalism
History the rise to full rationality = expressed in liberal self-government
The Dialectic (dialogue): thesis + antithesis = synthesis (consciousness)
Battle of Jena (1806)

9. Human Rights
Anglo-Saxon Rights: preserve individual in private sphere = enrich self & satisfy desires
Hobbes & Locke: Man passion-driven (desire) so require government (reason) for security & to accumulate wealth.
Thymos: recognition is the true motivation for action – (not found in Hobbes & Locke, but in Hegel)
John Locke ( )

10. Geist: Spirit & Mind
For Hegel the French Revolution ‘took the Christian vision of free & equal society … implemented on earth’
Christian ideals realised on earth
Geist (God): spirit and mind on earth
Democracy enables recognition people seek
Napoleon exported liberty & equality

11. Marx on Hegel
Attacked Hegel’s defence of private economic & political activity’
Liberal State did not universalise freedom – only Bourgeoisie
Created Alienation & Oppression
Hegelian Dialectic: Six Stages (epochs) of Material History
Communist ‘End of History’
Karl Marx ( )

12. War & Democracy
War created modern states – expand government to control kingdom & obtain tax
War & technology unifies state – protection & competition with other states
War is driven by the need for recognition (Hegel)
Liberal Democracy replaces the desire for irrational recognition = all equal & recognised
Democracies do not fight democracies

13. Democracy Everywhere C19 characterised by hope:
Science and the mastery of nature
Democratic government via Revolution
C20 failure of totalitarian regimes
Fills the void
Has legitimacy of the people – capable of change
Capitalism – improved by democratic freedom = potential of the individual

14. Liberalism Recognises individual’s rights & freedoms:
Civil: citizenship & property
Religious: free practise of worship & toleration (opinions)
Political: freedoms if not effecting community
Islamic Fundamentalism: no appeal to the West – would not willingly lose above rights
Delacroix, Liberty leading the People (1830)

15. Prevention of Democracy
Excessive nationalism
Predominance of religion
Highly unequal social structure
Country where people not free to interact
Strength: natural development in Britain & US

16. Nietzsche’s ‘First Man’
Homogeneity of peoples – same consumer goods, interests, media – (US dominated)
Nietzsche: democracy removed discontent, division & angst
Slave mentality dominant – but people still strive for recognition & greatness
Recreate the First Man – fight the Last Man = human excellence
Nietzsche ( )

17. Responses to Fukuyama
Allan Bloom: agrees with Fukuyama – issues of race, class & family have been conquered Pierre Hasner: experiences of ‘Auschwitz & totalitarianism’ had removed importance of ideology Himmelfarb: something fundamental had changed in C20, but (a) how has history ended when still alive, & (b) did ideologies fail when so signigicant

18. Responses II
Irving Kristol: All governments are unstable, including democracy – could eventually fail!
Moynihan: expansionist behaviour of US in 1980s shows historical activity
Huntington: (a) Cultural divisions (‘clash of civilisations’) will dominate the future for states
(b) West will have to accommodate the east