In his much discussed article, "The End of History?," published in 1989, Francis Fukuyama argued at that time that "what we are witnessing is not just the end of the Cold War, or the passing of a particular period of postwar history, but the end of history as such; that is, the end point of mankind's ideological evolution and the universalization of Western liberal democracy as the final form of human government." Your assignment is to critically discuss the validity of Fukuyama's argument on the basis of the readings and course lectures.

Your discussion should address the following questions: Is Fukuyama correct when he says that class inequality is simply the result of pre-modern or pre-capitalist conditions and that it is receding in importance? How accurate is he when he argues that "Marxism-Leninism" has been completely discredited? Has liberal democracy triumphed throughout the world? Again, your response should draw upon as extensively as possible in the limits of four to five pages all the relevant course readings and lectures. Papers are due December 4.