“Men are made unhappy not because they fail to gratify some fixed set of desires, but by the gap that continually arises between new wants and their fulfillment.”
~ Francis Fukuyama, The End of History and the Last Man
During a recent conversation, I was asked if a democratic humanity, where all people(s) are regarded as having worth, dignity, equal rights, and rightful access to the resources that make for a healthy, fulfilling life, will ever be possible.
Long ago, I read a book titled: “The End of History and the Last Man,” by Francis Fukuyama.
One of the premises of the book is that humanity is driven by the struggle for recognition and power, both individually and collectively. If there is truth to this, then it explains the ongoing conflict between the desire for democracy—where all individuals are recognized as having worth, dignity, and basic rights—and ideologies and tyrants seeking to be recognized as superior among all others, thus having the right to subjugate others to their demands and wishes, and to control their access to resources—hoarding them for themselves and their cronies.
Generally, individuals seek respect, validation of worth, and a sense of control or personal power, enough to survive and thrive in a socially complex world, ideally without dominating or intentionally “taking away” from others. Yet, there are the so called narcissists of the world as well, never being satisfied with the ideal of equality and sharing, always wanting MORE, whether that be more control over others, more wealth, more land or property, more fame and prestige, or whatever else “seemingly” positions them above others. Thus, it is not a big leap in logic to consider that this happens on a larger scale as well: countries, governments, dictatorships, greed oriented companies, radical religious groups, political and economic systems, etc.
If I remember correctly, the book I cited, mentioned the likelihood (don’t quote me on this) that an all around democratic world—if that is ever possible—would not endure for long, as there will always be egocentric individuals, aspiring dictators, ideological groups, politicians, and hoarders of resources that seek more than their share: a sense of entitlement for “MORE” that validates or defines their sense of superiority and exaggerated worth, often resulting in an unfettered control over people and resources. I suppose that psychology could explain this in terms of sociopathic or psychotic personalities, but this falls flat when considering the continuous cycling between relative peace and chaos throughout the world. It seems like quite a stretch to label a large portion of the human population as sociopaths or psychopaths. More likely that personality and circumstances shape what is an inherent human drive for recognition and power, too often into toxic, violent forms.
So, circling back to the original question: Do I believe that peace, stability, respect, and fulfillment for all is achievable and maintainable on a world-wide basis?
I don’t think so, given our long history of conflicts, wars, territorial conquests, criminal/terrorist enterprises, political corruption, corporate greed, etc. The drive for MORE recognition and power, will always bring out the worst in some people and collectives, ensuring that there will never be a level playing field on any scale, at least not on an enduring basis. This is just my opinion of course, but one only needs to notice the endless cycle of rising and falling dictatorships, conflicts, unjustified invasions, and criminal enterprises.
© 2025 David M. Rubin. All rights reserved.
Notes from David 