A defence of liberalism by the renowned political philosopher 'We need more thinkers as wise as Fukuyama digging their fingers into the soil of our predicament' The New York Times Liberalism - the comparatively mild-mannered sibling to the more ardent camps of nationalism and socialism - has never been so divisive as today. From Putin's populism, the Trump administration and autocratic rulers in democracies the world over, it has both thrived and failed under identity politics, authoritarianism, social media and a weakened free press the world over. Since its inception following the post-Reformation wars, liberalism has come under attack from conservatives and progressives alike, and today is dismissed by many as an 'obsolete doctrine'. In this brilliant and concise exposition, Francis Fukuyama sets out the cases for and against its classical premises: observing the rule of law, independence of judges, means over ends, and most of all, tolerance. Pithy, to the point, and ever pertinent, this is political dissection at its very best.
Review
Urgent and timely ... A vital strength of this slim, elegant book is that it is crystalline in its definitions, even while acknowledging the complexities of practice ... a good place to start with asking the essential questions - Observer
One of the west's most interesting public intellectuals ... he is always worth reading as a writer prepared to recalibrate and develop his thinking -- Iain Martin - Times
Transformative ... Maybe now, as Europe sees its most brutal war since 1945, we are ready to heed what Fukuyama was trying to tell us all along -- Matthew d'Ancona - Evening Standard
Books have poured out lately on liberalism's failings and how democracies break down. Among the diagnosticians, none is more eminent or experienced than Francis Fukuyama ... Hard to think of a better case for liberal centrism -- Edmund Fawcett - FT
Praise for Identity: As wise as it is compact, travelling at great speed through difficult terrain to a sensible conclusion - The Times
A primer on the big political shift of our times, and an explainer of how we got here - Sunday Times
Sweeping and ambitious - Prospect
A useful primer on an important subject - Literary Review
A short, sharp defence of a doctrine which has come under attack from all sides -- Tom Gatti - New Statesman
About the Author
Francis Fukuyama is the author of The End of History, The Great Disruption, Our Posthuman Future, State Building,After the Neocons,The Origins of Political Order and Political Order and Political Decay. All have been hugely influential international bestsellers, translated and published in many languages. He is Olivier Nomellini Senior Fellow at the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies, Stanford.
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