Utopia Translation Series 010 the Great Break: the Reconstruction of Human Nature and Social Order

Since the middle of the 20th century, major Western developed countries have entered the so-called post-industrial era. During this period, technological progress centered on information technology has brought significant changes to the traditional operating models and organizational methods of the economy and society. Old social norms and cultural values ​​have also been severely impacted. In Western developed capitalist societies, this is generally manifested as a sharp decline in crime rates, divorce rates, unmarried birth rates, and a significant decrease in social trust. Fukuyama summarized the deterioration of various indicators related to "social capital" as the "Great Break." What are the reasons that lead to the emergence of great ruptures in developed societies? Is this the inevitable fate of capitalist social transformation? How did they get out of the Great Rupture? This book explores these questions. In Fukuyama's view, although the continuous expansion of individualism in capitalist society has caused the dissolution of traditional authority and social norms to varying degrees, reciprocal altruistic cooperation spontaneously based on individual rationality and competitive relationships is still the cornerstone of various forms of social connections and social capital. Under the conditions of new technologies, the flattening of social organizational structures has contributed to the rise of social networks, making social capital more important in building social order, but hierarchy still retains an irreplaceable role. Fukuyama believed that, even in the face of major technological, economic, and social transformations, social order would always emerge from sources that were both hierarchical and spontaneous. Big breaks are inevitable, but the reconstruction of social norms is always possible. He cited some evidence that after the 1990s, the great rupture and chaos in advanced capitalist societies gradually subsided and social capital was re-accumulated to explain this conclusion. In this book, Fukuyama, as always, expressed confidence in capitalist society and its system. He believes that the modern post-industrial capitalist economy will generate continuous demand for social capital, and in the long run, it will also have the ability to provide 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 shown in the social and moral fields needs to and will eventually be overcome through the powerful ability of human beings to rebuild social order.