About this episode

Yascha Mounk and Francis Fukuyama discuss the significance of human nature in political theory.

Yascha Mounk and Francis Fukuyama explore why any theory of politics must begin with an account of what makes us human. Francis Fukuyama is the Olivier Nomellini Senior Fellow at Stanford University. His latest book is In the Realm of the Last Man. He is also the author of the “Frankly Fukuyama” column at Persuasion.  In this week’s conversation, Yascha Mounk and Francis Fukuyama discuss why human nature has been so central to Fukuyama’s political thought, what modern evolutionary biology and anthropology tell us about the myth of primordial individualism, and whether human beings are best understood as fundamentally social creatures or fundamentally self-interested ones. Enjoying this discussion? In an event exclusively for readers of American Purpose and Persuasion, Yascha Mounk will be interviewing Francis Fukuyama about his life and thought at 5pm on Sunday, September 6 at The Abbey Centre, London. Find out more and get tickets here. Paying subscribers of Persuasion and American Purpose can access a code for a free ticket here. We’re delighted to feature this conversation as part of our series on Liberal Virtues and Values. This series, made possible with the generous…

People in this episode

Host: Yascha Mounk

Guest: Francis Fukuyama

Topics covered

• human nature
• political thought
• evolutionary biology
• anthropology
• social creatures
• self-interest
• liberalism

Keywords

• politics
• human nature
• evolution
• social behavior
• liberal values
• Fukuyama
• anthropology
• individualism

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Stanford University, Persuasion, American Purpose

Books & works: In the Realm of the Last Man

Places: The Abbey Centre, London

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