liberalism and its discontents francis fukuyama

Among the diagnosticians, none is more eminent or experienced than Francis Fukuyama. Maybe now, as Europe sees its most brutal war since 1945, we are ready to heed what Fukuyama was trying to tell us all along - Matthew d'Ancona * Evening Standard * Books have poured out lately on liberalism's failings and how democracies break down. he is always worth reading as a writer prepared to recalibrate and develop his thinking - Iain Martin * Times * Transformative. A brilliantly acute summary of the way some aspects of liberal thought have consumed themselves - Andrew Anthony * Guardian * One of the west's most interesting public intellectuals. A vital strength of this slim, elegant book is that it is crystalline in its definitions, even while acknowledging the complexities of practice. Pithy, to the point, and ever pertinent, this is political dissection at its very best.

In this brilliant and concise exposition, Francis Fukuyama sets out the cases for and against its classical premises: observing the rule of law, independence of judges, means over ends, and most of all, tolerance. Since its inception following the post-Reformation wars, liberalism has come under attack from conservatives and progressives alike, and today is dismissed by many as an ‘obsolete doctrine’. From Putin’s populism, the Trump administration and autocratic rulers in democracies the world over, it has both thrived and failed under identity politics, authoritarianism, social media and a weakened free press the world over.

Liberalism – the comparatively mild-mannered sibling to the more ardent camps of nationalism and socialism – has never been so divisive as today. ‘Hard to think of a better case for liberal centrism’ FT ‘One of the West’s most interesting public intellectuals’ Times ‘A brilliantly acute summary of the way some aspects of liberal thought have consumed themselves’ Guardian ‘We need more thinkers as wise as Fukuyama digging their fingers into the soil of our predicament’ The New York Times A TIMES BEST PHILOSOPHY & IDEAS BOOK OF 2022Ī defence of liberalism by the renowned political philosopher

Liberalism and its discontents francis fukuyama