| Francis Fukuyama |
Article Index for Francis |
Website Links For Francis |
Information AboutFrancis Fukuyama |
|
Francis Fukuyama (born October 27 , 1952 in Chicago ) is an influential American philosopher, Political Economist and author. He received his B.A. from Cornell University in classics, his Ph.D. from Harvard in Political Science, and is currently Bernard L. Schwartz Professor of International Political Economy and Director of the International Development Program at the Paul H. Nitze School Of Advanced International Studies at the Johns Hopkins University . BIOGRAPHY Fukuyama is best known as the author of ''''. In the latter, he qualified his original "end of history" thesis, arguing that since biotechnology increasingly allows humans to control their own Evolution , it may allow humans to become fundamentally unequal, and thus spell the end of liberal democracy as a workable system.. Fukuyama is sometimes criticized as being a Bioluddite because of his critiques of the political ramifications of Transhumanism , though to others Fukuyama is considered more of a Bioconservative because of his cautious support for Genetically Modified Organism technologies. Politically, Fukuyama has in the past been considered after the September 11, 2001 Attacks , a letter that called for removing Saddam Hussein from power "even if evidence does not link Iraq directly to the attack". {Link without Title} Thereafter, however, he drifted from the neoconservative agenda, which he felt had become overly militaristic and based on muscular, unilateral armed intervention to further democratization within authoritarian regimes (particularly in the Middle East). He did not approve of the 2003 Invasion Of Iraq as it was executed, and called for Donald Rumsfeld 's resignation as Secretary Of Defense [http://www.zaman.com/?bl=international&alt=&trh=20040714&hn=10372]. He said that he would vote against Bush in the 2004 election [http://clublet.com/why?WhyIWontVoteForGeorgeBush], and said Bush made three major mistakes:
Fukuyama's current beliefs include: the US should use its power to promote democracy in the world, but more along the lines of what he calls ''realistic Wilsonianism '', with military intervention only as a last resort and only in addition to other measures. A latent military force is more likely to have an effect than actual deployment. The US spends as much on its military as the rest of the world put together, but Iraq shows there are limits to its effectiveness. The US should instead stimulate political and economic development and gain a better understanding of what happens in other countries. The best instruments are setting a good example and providing education and, in many cases, money. The secret of development, be it political or economic, is that it never comes from outsiders, but always from people in the country itself. One thing the US is good at is the formation of international institutions. These would combine power with legitimacy. But such measures require a lot of patience. In an essay in the ''. He wrote that the neoconservatives believed that history can be pushed along with the right application of power and will. Leninism was a tragedy in its Bolshevik version, and it has returned as farce when practiced by the United States. Neoconservatism, as both a political symbol and a body of thought, has evolved into something I can no longer support. He also announced the end of the "neoconservative moment" and argued for the demilitarization of the war on terrorism: " {Link without Title} ar" is the wrong metaphor for the broader struggle, since wars are fought at full intensity and have clear beginnings and endings. Meeting the jihadist challenge is more of a "long, twilight struggle" whose core is not a military campaign but a political contest for the hearts and minds of ordinary Muslim s around the world. In August 2005 Fukuyama, together with a number of other prominent political thinkers, co-founded '' The American Interest '', a quarterly magazine devoted to the broad theme of "America in the World". The editorial tone of the publication is largely bi-partisan and is an attempt to transcend the polemical discourse that dominates discussions of contemporary American foreign policy. Fukuyama was a member of the President's Council On Bioethics from 2001-2005. Fukuyama is on the steering committee for the Scooter Libby Legal Defense Trust {Link without Title} . Fukuyama is a long-time friend of Libby. They served together in the State Department in the 1980s. Fukuyama is also a part-time photographer and has a keen interest in classical furniture which he makes by hand. He is married to Laura Holmgren and has three children. BOOKS
ESSAYS
SEE ALSO EXTERNAL LINKS
|
|
|