Liberalism and Its Discontents

Francis Fukuyama's Liberalism and Its Discontents (2022) examines the challenges facing liberalism. This work follows his earlier, influential thesis in The End of History and the Last Man (1992), which posited that Western-style liberal democracy represented the final stage of human political development following the Cold War.12

Liberal democracy is characterized by limited government power, constitutionally protected individual freedoms and rights, pluralism, toleration, and the rule of law. While Fukuyama initially saw liberal democracy as triumphant, he later acknowledged its ongoing challenges from autocratic leaders and the rise of populism within democratic nations. His later work, Liberalism and Its Discontents, delves into these contemporary threats to liberal principles.12