### **[[Francis Fukuyama]], *Thumos*, and [[Liberalism]]: A Clash of Recognition** Fukuyama’s *The End of [[History]] and the Last Man* (1992) argues that liberal [[Democracy]], while fulfilling material needs (*eros*) and rational governance (*logos*), struggles to satisfy humanity’s **thumotic** craving for *dignity* and *recognition*. #### **Key Points:** 1. **[[Hegel]]’s "Struggle for Recognition"** (Master-Slave Dialectic) - Fukuyama borrows from Hegel: human history is driven by the desire to be *seen* as worthy. - Liberal democracy’s equality paradoxically *flattens* recognition—everyone gets rights, but no one feels *exceptional*. 2. **[[Friedrich Nietzsche|Nietzsche]]’s *Will to Power*** - Fukuyama critiques Nietzsche’s fear that liberalism would produce "last men"—comfortable, but devoid of heroic *thumos*. - Modern populism (Trump, Brexit) is *thumos* revolting against this "boredom"—demanding *megalothymia* (desire to be superior). 3. **The Crisis of Liberalism** - Without outlets for *thumos* (e.g., [[War]], [[Religion]]), people turn to **identity [[Politics]], [[Nationalism]], or conspiracy theories**. - Fukuyama’s solution: Redirect *thumos* into civic participation (labor movements, patriotism without xenophobia). --- ### **[[Timothy Morton]]’s "[[Hyperobjects]]" and *Thumos*** Morton’s *[[Hyperobjects]]* (2013) argues that [[Climate Change]] is a **"hyperobject"**—too vast and complex for humans to fully perceive or emotionally process. #### **How This Relates to *Thumos*:** 1. **The *Thumotic* Paralysis** - Ancient *thumos* was for *immediate* threats (Achilles vs. Hector). Climate collapse is *slow [[violence]]*—hard to rage against. - Fukuyama’s liberal order lacks a *thumotic* framework for long-term sacrifice (e.g., decarbonization). 2. **Geologists as the New Oracles** - Morton suggests geologists (studying deep time) reveal our **insignificance**—undermining *thumotic* heroism. - Example: The *Anthropocene* forces us to confront humanity as a *geological force*, not a protagonist. 3. **A Post-*Thumos* Politics?** - Morton’s *[[dark ecology]]* rejects heroic narratives (e.g., "saving the planet") for **humility, entanglement, and [[Irony]]**. - But can humans act collectively *without* *thumos*? --- ### **Synthesis: *Thumos* in the Anthropocene** - **Fukuyama’s Warning**: Liberalism must harness *thumos* or face fascist backlash. - **Morton’s Challenge**: Climate collapse demands we *transcend* *thumos*—replacing Achilles with lichen, war with [[Symbiosis]]. - **Tension**: Can a species wired for tribal glory (Hegel/Nietzsche) adapt to Morton’s "weird" realism? **Case Study: Greta Thunberg** - Her activism is *thumotic* ("How dare you!") but directed at a *hyperobject* (CO₂). - Contrast with **Extinction Rebellion’s** sacrificial aesthetics (disruptive but non-heroic). --- ### **Conclusion: The Future of *Thumos*** Fukuyama wants to *tame* it; Morton wants to *dissolve* it. The Anthropocene may demand both—a **"post-heroic *thumos***" that fights for a world without enemies. **Further Reading:** - Fukuyama, *Identity: The Demand for Dignity* (2018) - Morton, *Hyperobjects* (2013) - Nietzsche, *On the Genealogy of Morals* (1887) – on *ressentiment* vs. *thumos*. `Concepts:` `Knowledge Base:`