The Great Rupture: Human Nature and the Reconstruction of Social Order by Francis Fukuyama Publisher: Guangxi Normal University Press

Introduction
【Editor's recommendation】
★ Liang Wendao, Liu Yu, Xiong Peiyun, and Xu Zhiyuan jointly edited the "Utopia Translation Series" (MIRROR) series (010) - Keep an open mind and non-utilitarian eyes to see the richness and complexity of the world. This book has Liu Yu's special article "The Crisis of the West?" ★ "The Great Rupture" is not only an important work, but also an ambitious one. It attempts to build a bridge between conservatives and liberals, thereby injecting vitality into the stale and stylized debate and making the discussion closer to reality. - Virginia Postel, a famous American political writer ★ Where there is freedom, social crises usually have a way out, because freedom allows and encourages trial and error and error correction, thus avoiding complacency. In this sense, the "decline of the West" that Westerners talk about every now and then is not so much a "badmouthing" that gloats over misfortunes as it is an alarm to be prepared for danger in times of peace. The same is true of Fukuyama's "The Great Rupture". - Liu Yu (Department of Political Science, Tsinghua University)
【Content Introduction】
The Great Rupture: Human Nature and the Reconstruction of Social Order Since the mid-twentieth century, major Western developed countries have successively entered the so-called post-industrial era. During this period, technological progress centered on information technology has brought major changes to the traditional operating modes and organizational methods of the economy and society, and the old social norms and cultural values ​​have also suffered serious shocks. In Western developed capitalist societies, the crime rate, divorce rate, unmarried birth rate and social trust have generally declined significantly. Fukuyama summarizes the deterioration of these indicators related to "social capital" as the "Great Rupture". What exactly caused the emergence of the Great Rupture in developed societies? Is this the inevitable fate of the transformation of capitalist society? How did they get out of the Great Rupture? This book explores the above questions. In Fukuyama's view, in capitalist society, the continuous expansion of individualism has caused the dissolution of traditional authority and social norms to varying degrees, but the reciprocal altruistic cooperation spontaneously generated by individual rationality and competitive relations is still the cornerstone of the formation of various forms of social connections and social capital. Under new technological conditions, the flattening of social organizational structures has led to the rise of social networks, making social capital more important in building social order, but the hierarchy still retains an irreplaceable role. Fukuyama believes that even in the face of major technological, economic and social transformations, social order will always emerge from sources that are both hierarchical and spontaneous. Great ruptures are inevitable, but the reconstruction of social norms is always expected. He cited several pieces of evidence that the chaos of great ruptures in developed capitalist societies gradually subsided and social capital re-accumulated after the 1990s, and explained this conclusion. In this book, Fukuyama, as always, expressed confidence in capitalist society and its system. He believes that the current post-industrial capitalist economy will generate a continuous demand for social capital, and in the long run, it is also capable of providing a sufficient amount of social capital to meet its needs. He even expressed optimism that technological development can help human life achieve human integrity. The historical cyclicality manifested in the social and moral fields needs and will eventually be overcome through the powerful ability of human beings to rebuild social order.