The Eras of Francis Fukuyama: Human Nature

Yascha Mounk  |  Yascha Mounk

Francis Fukuyama and Yascha Mounk re-examine the biological and evolutionary foundations of human nature to challenge foundational liberal political theory. Classical philosophers including Thomas Hobbes, John Locke, and Jean-Jacques Rousseau predicated modern state architecture on a myth of primordial individualism, assuming solitary humans forged societal bonds solely through artificial social contracts.

Comparative anthropology, primatology, and evolutionary biology demonstrate that human beings never existed as isolated individuals. Instead, early hominids continuously evolved within co-operative social groups, embedding complex faculties for collective organization and social cohesion directly into the human genome. Modern individualistic governance models are consequently historically contingent cultural adaptations rather than biological defaults. While human behavior exhibits a persistent tension between individual utility maximization and communal alignment, enduring political institutions must account for humanity's inherently social biological heritage to maintain long-term institutional stability, political resilience, and democratic legitimacy across diverse societies.

Comment

Reinterpreting state creation through evolutionary biology challenges the foundational premises of Thomas Hobbes's 1651 treatise Leviathan. Substituting the hypothetical state of nature with empirical primatology shifts the core rationale for sovereign authority from fear-driven security enforcement to institutionalising pre-existing social cohesion. This intellectual shift redefines state legitimacy by framing public compliance not as a concession against violence, but as an extension of evolutionary group dynamics.

Strategic Question for Discussion

Which carries greater weight when evaluating state collapse in fractured societies — the coercion-based sovereignty outlined in Thomas Hobbes's Leviathan or the biologically rooted group dynamics identified by evolutionary anthropology?

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