Francis Fukuyama and

The end of History and the

Last Man

Gabriel Elias
 Biography
Yoshiro Francis Fukuyama
was born in Chicago on the
October 12, 1952.
Japanese descendant but
with little contact with
Japanese culture.
Moved to New York as a
child, and in 1967 moved to
Pennsylvania.
 Biography
Makes his Bachelor in Classics at Cornell University. There,
he joins Telluride Association.
Pursued Graduate studies in comparative literature at Yale.
Came to Paris to study for one semester, where he took
classes from Roland Barthes and Jacques Derrida. There,
becomes disillusioned with his studies.
Goes back to the US to study Political Sciences at Harvard,
earning his Ph.D. for his thesis on Soviet threats to intervene
in the Middle East.
In 1974 joins RAND Corporation.
 Biography
From 1981 to 1982 he was a regular member of the Policy
Planning Staff of the US Department of State specializing in
Middle East affairs. In 1989 returns as Deputy Director for
European political-military affairs and leaves in 1990 to finish
writing his main book The end of History and the Last Man.
Taught Public Policy at George Mason University from 96 to
2000.
From then until 2010 taught International Political Economy
at John Hopkins University.
Now is a Senior Fellow in the Center on Democracy,
Development and the Rule of Law at Stanford.
 Biography
Dr. Fukuyama is chairman of the editorial board of a new
magazine, The American Interest, which he helped to found in
2005. He holds honorary doctorates from Connecticut College,
Doane College, Doshisha University (Japan), and Kansai
University (Japan). He is a member of the Board of Trustees of the
Rand Corporation, member of the Board of Governors of the
Pardee Rand Graduate School, and member of the advisory
boards for the Journal of Democracy, the Inter-American Dialogue,
and The New America Foundation. He is a member of the
American Political Science Association and the Council on Foreign
Relations. He is married and has three children.
Formerly classified himself as a neoconservative. However, he has
turned away from the movement since the invasion of Iraq by
George W. Bushs government, even publishing an article against
it.
 Relation with
Neoconservatism
Endorses the following principles, which are identified in
Foreign Policy as neoconservative, and even identified
himself as one.
The USA should care about the internal character of states
it should formulate a foreign policy that reflects the values of
liberal democratic societies.
That it should sometimes use military power as a legitimate
vehicle to pursue these goals.
skepticism about social engineering.
Turned away from the movement since the invasion of Iraq
by George W. Bushs government, even publishing an article
against it, arguing that the movement had dropped the
skepticism about social engineering and was trying to do
State-Building.
 The end of History and the
Last Man
The book was written after an article published in 1989
called the end of history?. in the international affairs
journal The National Interest.

History: not about the routine flow of events, but about

structures.

Tries to understand weather the History of human

society goes through a coherent evolutional process.
 The end of History and the
Last Man
Inspired by Kojves interpretation of Hegel, who argues that
the progress of history must lead towards a universal and
homogeneal state, most likely incorporating elements of
liberal or social democracy.
The end of History would be the endpoint of the ideological
evolution.
Sees a universally growing consensus around the justness
of the principles of Liberal Democracy.
Defeat of Nazism and fall of the Soviet Union.
Doesnt see an alternative society organizing structure that
could prevail against Liberal Democracy.
 The end of History and the
Last Man
Causes:
Economic High correlation between stable democracy and
prosperity. Argues that the underlying cause for the growth on
the number of Liberal Democratic countries is the economic
growth allied with technological advancements and
urbanization, which are occurring around the world. As this
happens a middle class is created and people become more
educated and authoritarian governments are delegitimized.
This alone, doesnt drive societies to the change.
Philosophical Hegel: societies are driven by the struggle for
recognition. That is to say, people want to be recognized as
human beings, with a certain dignity and freedom, and that
search for recognition is what makes people take risks and
leads to the relationships of masters and slaves
 The end of History and the
Last Man
Argues that Liberal Democracy is the system that best fits
human nature, because it is the only one that achieves
universal and reciprocal recognition.
Liberal Democracy: characterized by elections plus
guarantees of certain fundamental rights of individuals
(freedom of the press, freedom of religion, freedom of
political association, freedom to participate in the political
system).
There can be no progression from a Liberal Democracy to
an alternative system, eventual falls of Liberal Democracies
are transitory.
Therefore, Liberal Democracy is the the endpoint of the
ideological evolution, namely, the end of History.
 The end of History and the
Last Man
Taking these Ideas to the international arena, the
author argues that A world made up of liberal
democracies, then, should have much less incentive for
war, since all nations would reciprocally recognize one
another's legitimacy. (FUKUYAMA, 2006)
 Bibliography
BOYTON, Robert. The Neocon Who Isn't. The
American Prospect, 2005.

FUKUYAMA, Francis. The End of History and the Last

Man. 1st ed. New York: Free Press, 2006.