Odd Lots · Thursday, September 17, 2026
Francis Fukuyama explains that liberalism's core principle of tolerating diverse views, born from religious wars, inherently weakens traditional community bonds and shared values. This emphasis on pluralism, while intended to foster peace, can be unsettling and contribute to a resurgence of nationalism and religious politics as people seek stronger collective identities.
“No, that's exactly right. I think right from the beginning of liberalism, One of the charges has been it weakens community. It weakens the sense of togetherness, you know, shared values and so forth. And that's deliberate.”
“Liberalism got its start in the 17th century after the European wars of religion, when Christians were killing each other over things like transubstantiation or childhood baptism. And the early liberals said, look, we actually need to accept the fact that we don't agree on the highest things. Let's just tolerate one another and live peacefully.”
“As you say, it accepts pluralism and difference. But I think that that's also what drives a lot of people crazy is that you have to tolerate people you really disagree with. And you don't get the strong sense that everybody is marching in the same direction.”