liberalism and its discontents francis fukuyama

In this short, clear account of our current political discontents, Fukuyama offers an essential defense of a revitalized liberalism for the twenty-first century.

The result, Fukuyama argues, has been a fracturing of our civil society and an increasing peril to our democracy. As the renowned political philosopher Francis Fukuyama shows in Liberalism and Its Discontents, the principles of liberalism have also, in recent decades, been pushed to new extremes by both the right and the left: neoliberals made a cult of economic freedom, and progressives focused on identity over human universality as central to their political vision. Conservatives complain that liberalism empties the common life of meaning. As the renowned political philosopher Francis Fukuyama shows in Liberalism and Its Discontents, the principles of liberalism have also, in recent decades, been pushed to new extremes by. Who counted as full human beings worthy of universal rights was contested for centuries, and only recently has this circle expanded to include women, African Americans, LGBTQ+ people, and others. In America, many people were denied equality before the law. Developed in the wake of Europe’s wars over religion and nationalism, liberalism is a. Classical liberalism is in a state of crisis. It's no secret that liberalism didn't always live up to its own ideals. A short book about the challenges to liberalism from the right and the left by the bestselling author of The Origins of Political Order. So the essence of liberalism to say we cannot agree on the good life as defined by, let’s say, a religious tradition. It looms behind his new book, Liberalism and Its Discontents, a short, staunch defense of classical liberal values against what he sees as threats from both the identitarian left and far. It emphasizes the rights of individuals to pursue their own forms of happiness free from encroachment by government. Francis Fukuyama: That’s absolutely correct. Developed in the wake of Europe’s wars over religion and nationalism, liberalism is a system for governing diverse societies, which is grounded in fundamental principles of equality and the rule of law. A short book about the challenges to liberalism from the right and the left by the bestselling author of The Origins of Political Order.Ĭlassical liberalism is in a state of crisis.

Liberalism and its discontents francis fukuyama