'The Last Man. Where Is the World Heading?'

Description

Moderated discussion
in English and German (translation) Can you become world-famous with a single phrase? Yes, you can! This was the case in spring 1989 for the American theorist Francis Fukuyama. He is believed by many to have summarized the greatest turning point since World War II both linguistically and intellectually, speaking of the 'End of History.' Now Fukuyama is coming to Hamburg! And with that, the opportunity to meet one of the most influential thinkers of our time, to better understand our world with him, and to ask the burning questions of our era: Has there truly been the hoped-for triumph of the Western-liberal system after the end of the world order with East and West, communism and capitalism, and the collapse of the Soviet Union nearly 40 years ago, and thereby the end of conflicting ideologies, in other words: the 'End of History' as a time of conflicts? How does Fukuyama evaluate his utopia in retrospect? (As a 'side effect,' he predicted the advent of a 'last man'—a more hedonistic species due to lack of friction.) How does he interpret our complex present? How are the two turning points connected? What does he see for our future? Fukuyama connects the dots. It is no coincidence that he follows his recent book 'The Last Man. Where Is the World Heading?' (2026) with his famous title 'The End of History and the Last Man' (1992). What world order are we heading towards? Liberal democracy is in crisis. After a long phase of democratization, we are back in a world of power, mainly due to authoritarian movements, technological change, neoliberalism, and identity politics. With his thoughts on the state of the world, Francis Fukuyama shows why liberal thinking is indispensable for Western societies in the 21st century. Above all, he emphasizes why we must fight for freedom to ensure its survival and to curb the risk of an authoritarian world order. 'An extraordinarily influential thinker' – The New Yorker Francis Fukuyama, born in 1952 in Chicago, studied political science at Harvard. His 1992 bestseller 'The End of History' made him internationally famous. Fukuyama is one of the most significant political theorists of our time. He has taught at Johns Hopkins University, received the Skytte Prize in 2015, and published numerous books on US politics. Currently, he is a professor of political science at Stanford University.

Highlights

• Discussion with Francis Fukuyama
• Topics: End of history and the future of the world
• Moderation in German and English

General Information

The moderated discussion with Francis Fukuyama takes place at Laeiszhalle in Hamburg. The influential theorist discusses the impact of his theses and the current challenges of the world order.

Location

Johannes-Brahms-Platz, 20355 Hamburg, Germany

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