Francis Fukuyama and His thesis “The End of History” Cover Image

Francis Fukuyama a jeho teze „Konec historie“
Francis Fukuyama and His thesis “The End of History”

Author(s): Miroslav Jurásek
Subject(s): Politics / Political Sciences
Published by: Univerzita Mateja Bela
Keywords: Francis Fukuyama; The End of History; liberal democracy; thumos; modernization; capitalism

Summary/Abstract: The book “The End of History and the Last Man“ (1992) by Francis Fukuyama became a world bestseller soon after its publishment; it has provoked contradictory feelings not only among professionals, but also among non-professionals. Politicians often acted upon the ideas of the book, in spite of the fact that social scientists were mostly condemning and criticizing it. Although, in general terms, the thesis the ´End of History´ can be taken as an ´idea about the future´, it has been labelled differently as theory, paradigm, scenario or myth. Certainly, the thesis the ´End of History´ deserves the clarification of its identity within the discipline of IR. In my paper I attempt to reveal reasons for the ´mysterious´ success or long-lasting popularity of the book although it suffers many methodological – theoretical flaws which are examined in more detailes through the paper. The constitutional character of Fukuyamas´ ideas is stressed. At the same time the thesis serves as prove of Kuhns´s doubts of the Popper criteria of the falsification.

  • Issue Year: 17/2014
  • Issue No: 3
  • Page Range: 189-217
  • Page Count: 29
  • Language: Czech