Virtual Event: Francis Fukuyama and Mathilde Fasting

Harvard Book Store's virtual event series welcomes renowned political economist FRANCIS FUKUYAMA and MATHILDE FASTING—a project manager and fellow at Civita, one of Norway's most influential think tanks—for a discussion of their book After the End of History: Conversations with Francis Fukuyama.

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About After the End of History

In his 1992 best-selling book The End of History and the Last Man, American political scientist Francis Fukuyama argued that the dominance of liberal democracy marked the end of humanity's political and ideological development. Thirty years later, with populism on the rise and the number of liberal democracies decreasing worldwide, Fukuyama revisits his classic thesis.

A series of in-depth interviews between Fukuyama and editor Mathilde Fasting, After the End of History offers a wide-ranging analysis of liberal democracy today. Drawing on Fukuyama's work on identity, biotechnology, and political order, the book provides essential insight into the rise of authoritarianism and the greatest threats faced by democracy in our present world.

Diving into topics like the surprise election of Donald Trump, the destruction of social and political norms, and the rise of China, Fukuyama deftly explains the plight of liberal democracy and explores how we might prevent its further decline. He also covers personal topics, reflects on his life and career, the evolution of his thinking, and some of his most important books.

Insightful and important, After the End of History grants unprecedented access to one of the greatest political minds of our time.

Praise for After the End of History

"Francis Fukuyama is without doubt one of the most influential political scientists of the post-Cold War period. There is hardly anyone who has not heard of his The End of History and the Last Man. In this splendid book of conversations between Mathilde Fasting and Francis Fukuyama, we discover much more about Fukuyama: his background and studies, polymathic interests, relationship to neocons, and his relationship to contemporary economics. It is a book about the person and the scholar, and it will appeal both to biographers and to students of social sciences." —Branko Milanovic, author of Capitalism, Alone

"Fukuyama here shows again that the telos of history is human dignity, not the State's boot on your face, forever." —Deirdre Nansen McCloskey, author of Why Liberalism Works

"A fascinating set of interviews offering unprecedented insight into the mind of one of the most influential public intellectuals of our time. Topics range from Fukuyama's early childhood education, to the challenges facing liberal democracies today, including the US-China trade war, the rise of authoritarianism around the world, the power of AI and Facebook, and intensifying identity politics. A great read." —Helena Rosenblatt, professor of history at the Graduate Center, City University of New York