Quote:
Originally Posted by Iowa_Flames_Fan
My own view is that sweeping generalizations about the nature of history (particularly ultra-teleological visions like this one) tend to be wrong.
After all, there was another guy who made similar predictions in the 19th century, and his followers have spent the last 100 years explaining why his empirical predictions about reality turned out not to match up with the material truth we observe on a daily basis. You've probably heard of him--his name was Karl Marx. 
I will concede that liberal democracy has turned out to be more stable than any of its opponents in the early 20th century could have imagined. But to pronounce it as marking "the end of human history" goes beyond hubris and descends into silliness. After all, the past 20 years, it seems to me, would contradict that hypothesis pretty strenuously. |
I would say the opposite . . . . . and then I would step outside and go for a nice run in the afternoon sun.
It seems he's going to probably be right . . . . . . although some might argue that cultural differences placing society ahead of self might prevail in places like China, as example, whereas the opposite would be true in America.
Generally though, we seem to be moving towards a central conclusion, sometimes violently but inevitable nonetheless.
Cowperson