The Eras of Francis Fukuyama: The End of History and the Last Man

The Eras of Francis Fukuyama: The End of History and the Last Man

August 1, 2026 · 1h 2m

About this episode

Yascha Mounk and Francis Fukuyama discuss the implications of Fukuyama's thesis on 'the end of history' and its relevance today.

Yascha Mounk and Francis Fukuyama examine what people still get wrong about “the end of history.” 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 the true meaning of “the end of history,” why the struggle for recognition—rather than material interest—is the engine of historical progress, and how his thesis holds up 35 years on. 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 support of the John Templeton Foundation, features content making the case that liberalism has its own distinctive set of virtues…

People in this episode

Host: Yascha Mounk

Guest: Francis Fukuyama

Topics covered

Keywords

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Stanford University, Persuasion, American Purpose, John Templeton Foundation

Books & works: In the Realm of the Last Man

Places: The Abbey Centre, London

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