** Below are the last two essay written that coincides with the subject matter of the requested sample writing**
“The End of History”
1.
Briefly explain what Francis Fukayama means by the phrase “the end of history.”
Fukayama implies that modern liberal democracy is associated with the end of history in his essay. However, it is worth noting that the author does not intend to mean that history comes to a halt. Instead, he tries to explain that modern liberal democracy has ended the most destructive ideologies to ever exist in the history of humankind (Fukuyama, 1989). Therefore, according to Fukayama, modern liberal democracy brings about the idea of the end of history. Furthermore, he explains that only through modern liberal democracy can the human race fix the economic, social, and political issues that affect their daily lives. In a nutshell, modern liberal democracy is the answer to how people can live together and build an accommodative world that every individual feels safe (Fukuyama, 1989). This is because it brings about peace and economic freedom and improves social and political status.
2.
At the “end of history,” according to Fukayama, what will happen to the practice of philosophy?
The end of history is a political and philosophical idea. During the end of history, the political, social, and economic developments that will arise will mark the end of sociocultural growth in human history (Fukuyama, 1989). Therefore, the end of history will be grim for philosophy because people will feel that all problems can only be solved through economic or technological solutions. Furthermore, the end of history will make people think that the newly achieved modern liberal democracy has answered everything. Hence, the human race will no longer pursue knowledge and truth concerning nature or the universe. Consequently, with the end of history, philosophy will fall into a state of bleakness.
“Reclaiming The Real”
In his article, Crawford asserts that contemporary society is similar to living in virtual reality, where skill is unnecessary, freedom is abundant, and consequences are absent. He uses the analogy of the Mickey Mouse Club analogy, where characters need not worry about the perils they face as there are built-in mechanisms that ensure their safety. This case is in today’s society, where aspects such as digital technology, capitalism, and ideals from Kant have resulted in an “engineered human experience” full of choice and extension freedom (Crawford, 2015). Nevertheless, he asserts that this far from the truth as “dumb nature” does not offer the conveniences and liberties that this “virtual reality” setup offers (Crawford, 2015). Individuals conditioned to this virtual reality type of society are likely to experience cognitive dissonance, as their idea of the world is inaccurate, which will lead to the friction that Crawford highlights. He uses the analogy of the martial artist to show why agency and skill are necessary in the real world.
Through past experiences and the knowledge and skills acquired, an individual can make the best choice in a given situation or context. However, the reality is dynamic, unpredictable, and has numerous dangers that may result in adverse consequences if one does not fully engage. For this reason, Crawford encourages humanity to shift their attention or focus away from the mind, which is the realm of virtual reality, and back to reality itself. This call to “act in the real world” is crucial as it offers the highest potential for a worthwhile human experience, one that is not engineered or fabricated to draw one out of reality using the illusion of freedom.