Chapter 6 Francis Fukuyama’s The End Of History And The Last Man

1 How was conflict going to unfold in the future, according to Fukuyama’s “end of history” argument, Huntington’s “clash of civilizations” argument, and Mearsheimer’s argument (which is the basis of offensive realism)?
Betts writes that “Most optimistic was Fukuyama’s vision of the final modern consensus on democracy and capitalism, the globalization of Western liberalism, and the ‘homogenization of all human societies,’ driven by technology and wealth. … of the three visions, Fukuyama’s still offered the one closest to mainstream American thinking.”
1 According to Fukuyama’s end of history, as nations develop and mature, the democratic ideologies that they subscribe to would lead to the total reduction of the possibility of inciting war with one another. This is contrasting with Huntington’s theory stating that conflicts would then emerge between cultures and religions, as compared to the nationalist agenda, which characterized the cold-war era. Lastly, Mearsheimer’s theory is the origin of offensive realism. He believes that deterrence would only happen, if the potential attacker believes that a successful attack is both costly and risky.
2 According to Betts’ description, the “end of history” argument falls most closely to which perspective (or perspectives)?
2 According to Bett, the end of history argument falls most closely with Mearsheimer’s argument
3 Do you think that Fukuyama’s argument reflected “mainstream American thinking” after the Cold War? What about after 9/11?
Betts says that “Mearsheimer was a party pooper, defying what seemed to be common sense. Many found it easy to write him off when he claimed the revival of traditional conflicts would soon make everyone nostalgic for the simplicity and stability of the Cold War. … The theory falls out of favor whenever peace breaks out, but it keeps coming back because peace never proves permanent.”
3 Fukuyama’s thinking was reflected after the cold war. However, America’s thinking that modern democracy would develop naturally has changed.
4 When would Betts expect that Mearsheimer’s offen...