Book Review : Identity by Francis Fukuyama
What comes after the End of History, the famous essay by Francis Fukuyama in which he predicted success for liberal democracy. In this Book, the identity: the demand for dignity and politics of resentment, Fukuyama explored threats towards liberal democracy, Morden institutions, and international World order by identity politics.
Sometime in the middle of the second decade of the 21st century, global politics had changed. From the early 1970s, the world has witnessed the peak of democratic governance both as practice and aspiration by many nations. Over 100 countries became electoral democracies as a form of government from any region of the world. But currently, the world is experiencing the recession of democracy; series waves of attacks under democracy and decay of democratic institutions by politics identity and resentment along the left-right spectrum.
The prominent political scientist Francis Fukuyama sees the politics of identity as a threat to democracy undermining the social cohesion and liberal democratic institutions. People should be seen as equal and should be identified as humans with equal rights and obligations. But the politics of identity seeks a narrow label of identity including nationality, ethnicity, religion, gender, sect, and race. Identity politics is group-based, yet liberal democracy is individually based. Therefore, these groups seek recognition and respect in the political systems. These groups are not satisfied in universal suffrage as identity as citizens, so they seek to be respected and recognised referring to nation or religion. Fukuyama believes sees the victory of Donald Trump in the U.S and Brexit vote in the UK as manifestations of Identity Politics. He also believes the Politics of resentment is being practised by Donald Trump in the U.S, Vladimir Putin in Russia, Xi Jinping in China, Viktor Orban in Hungry, and Rodrigo Duterte in the Philippines.
Fukuyama believes that Populist leaders are the product and contributors of the decaying liberal democratic institutions; therefore, these leaders claim unique ownership of charisma and seek a personal connection with the people rather the institution. So these populist leaders are a great threat to liberal democracy and international world order. Fukuyama strongly argues that populist leaders undermine institutions by weakening the checks and balance that limit leader’s personal power in a liberal democracy; these include the courts, the parliament, the independent media, and nonpartisan bureaucracy.
This universal concept of identity is not new and traces back into writings of Plato, Aristotle, Luther, Hegel and others to understand humans deeply “better theory of human souls”. But Professor Fukuyama mentioned most of his explanations is on the western spectrum and missed from the east, Africa and developing world.
Identity is worth and necessary book read for those interest in Global Politics. It’s more on philosophy and academic which demands reflection with global politics of today.