Episode
The End of History
47:27
Published: Thu Feb 09 2023
Description
Francis Fukuyama's "The End of History and the Last Man" changed political discourse forever. Peter and Michael peel back his muddled history and fluffy rhetoric, revealing several more layers of muddled history and fluffy rhetoric.Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/IfBooksPodWhere to find us: TwitterPeter's other podcast, 5-4Mike's other podcast, Maintenance PhaseSources:Reflections on the End of History, Five Years Later (https://www.jstor.org/stable/2505433)More Proof That This Really Is the End of History (https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2022/10/francis-fukuyama-still-end-history/671761/)Francis Fukuyama Postpones the End of History (https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2018/09/03/francis-fukuyama-postpones-the-end-of-history)Endism: why 1989 was not the 'end of history' (https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/endism/)The End of the End of History (https://www.bostonreview.net/articles/maximillian-alvarez-end-end-history/)It's Still Not the End of History (https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2014/09/its-still-not-the-end-of-history-francis-fukuyama/379394/)Bring back ideology: Fukuyama's 'end of history' 25 years on (https://www.theguardian.com/books/2014/mar/21/bring-back-ideology-fukuyama-end-history-25-years-on)Francis Fukuyama's Shrinking Idea (https://newrepublic.com/article/152668/francis-fukuyama-identity-review-collapse-theory-liberal-democracy)
Chapters
The book, The End of History and the Last Man, was criticized for implying that history would no longer happen, but the idea of a dialectical view of history originates with Hegel and simply means that history has a narrative arc.
00:00 - 05:44 (05:44)
Summary
The book, The End of History and the Last Man, was criticized for implying that history would no longer happen, but the idea of a dialectical view of history originates with Hegel and simply means that history has a narrative arc. However, some use philosophy's abstraction to hide their inability to accurately describe the world.
EpisodeThe End of History
PodcastIf Books Could Kill
The speaker criticizes a writer for using convoluted language to describe the United States, and for using biased judgements in his writing without giving sufficient examples to reflect his claims properly.
05:44 - 10:18 (04:33)
Summary
The speaker criticizes a writer for using convoluted language to describe the United States, and for using biased judgements in his writing without giving sufficient examples to reflect his claims properly.
EpisodeThe End of History
PodcastIf Books Could Kill
The belief that authoritarian governments are losing their power due to the people's desire for liberal democracy is oversimplified as many countries have progressed at different rates after experiencing different forms of authoritarianism.
10:18 - 18:19 (08:00)
Summary
The belief that authoritarian governments are losing their power due to the people's desire for liberal democracy is oversimplified as many countries have progressed at different rates after experiencing different forms of authoritarianism.
EpisodeThe End of History
PodcastIf Books Could Kill
The podcast discusses how powerful interests during the Cold War purposefully shaped the world, such as fascism drawing upon deeply human impulses.
18:19 - 22:00 (03:41)
Summary
The podcast discusses how powerful interests during the Cold War purposefully shaped the world, such as fascism drawing upon deeply human impulses. Some intellectuals still believe that politics is a battle of ideas.
EpisodeThe End of History
PodcastIf Books Could Kill
The book in discussion appears in many undergraduate syllabi, but its fundamentally conservative nature has not been highlighted.
22:00 - 28:43 (06:42)
Summary
The book in discussion appears in many undergraduate syllabi, but its fundamentally conservative nature has not been highlighted. The author makes up philosophy words and seems to be out of his depth in large portions of it.
EpisodeThe End of History
PodcastIf Books Could Kill
The article explores the perplexing topic of Agamben’s thymos, a term he borrowed from Plato but redefined to fit his own ideas, which baffles even some experts.
28:43 - 33:30 (04:46)
Summary
The article explores the perplexing topic of Agamben’s thymos, a term he borrowed from Plato but redefined to fit his own ideas, which baffles even some experts. The desire for recognition stemming from thymus, a supposed psychological construct that is both the seat of selflessness and justice yet closely tied to selfishness, appears to be paradoxical at its core.
EpisodeThe End of History
PodcastIf Books Could Kill
An expert criticizes philosopher John Rawls for not acknowledging the backsliding of countries into authoritarianism despite his contributions to liberalism and democracy.
33:30 - 37:00 (03:30)
Summary
An expert criticizes philosopher John Rawls for not acknowledging the backsliding of countries into authoritarianism despite his contributions to liberalism and democracy.
EpisodeThe End of History
PodcastIf Books Could Kill
The podcast discusses how the rise of communism, fascism, and capitalism in international politics since 2016 has led to uncertainty regarding their efficacy.
37:00 - 43:28 (06:28)
Summary
The podcast discusses how the rise of communism, fascism, and capitalism in international politics since 2016 has led to uncertainty regarding their efficacy. Reference is made to Paul Ehrlich's predictive style and how framing political projections within shorter time periods may yield more accuracy.
EpisodeThe End of History
PodcastIf Books Could Kill
People leave countries for a variety of reasons, such as economic opportunities and political unrest, but the manifestation of ideology cannot always explain a country's economic situation.
43:28 - 47:10 (03:41)
Summary
People leave countries for a variety of reasons, such as economic opportunities and political unrest, but the manifestation of ideology cannot always explain a country's economic situation.