After the horrors of World War II the international community sought to prevent any repeat by establishing bodies like the United Nations and drawing up the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. That regime was challenged by the advent of the “Cold War” but in 1991 the old Soviet Union collapsed, and “liberal democracy” was proclaimed the winner at “the end of history” (Fukuyama). In the last two decades democracy appears to be in retreat in face of the relentless rise of the political “right”. What happened? Can “liberal democracy” actually survive or is the old order gone forever.
- The End of History and the Last Man by Francis Fukuyama (Penguin, 1992, ISBN 13579108642)
- The Clash of Civilisations and the Remaking of World Order by Samuel Huntingdon (Free Press, 1997, ISBN 0-7432-3194-X)
- Guns, Germs and Steel by Jared Diamond (Norton, 1999, ISBN 0-393-31755-2)
- Why Nations Fail by Daron Acemoglu and James A Robinson (Profile Books, 2013, ISBN 978 1 84668 430 2)
- What forces subverted the push for a stable, free and open international order based on respect for territorial integrity and human rights?
- Is democracy as we know it still fit for purpose or will “illiberal democracy” prevail, led by a variety of dictators, “strong men” and bullies?
- Are we really committed to a system of recognition for and protection of universally recognised human rights?
By the end of this course, students should be able to:
- Identify the root causes of the collapse of faith/confidence in liberal democracy and the rules-based international order.
- Better understand what we can, what are we prepared to do, individually and collectively to resist the rise of the right.
