Near the close of the twentieth century, two American political scientists returned to a question that had been asked by many of the greatest thinkers of the past. Is there a direction to history? And if so, to what end is it moving? The answers offered by Francis Fukuyama and Samuel Huntington envisioned vastly different political futures, sparking an intense debate about the nature of Western liberalism and the character of political conflict. In this reading group, we will examine their two seminal essays, along with excerpts from related works, and consider what they have to teach us about history, culture, identity, religion, and the political crises of the present moment.

On Tuesday, July 14 at 6 PM, join Dr. Matthew Rose (Morningside) and Nathan Darmon (GS ‘25) for a discussion for Huntington’s seminal essay, “The Clash of Civilizations?”