Union Chapel, Islington

In this episode, we return for part two of our live event with political thinker and author Francis Fukuyama.

Fukuyama joined us at Union Chapel in London to discuss the crisis facing liberal democracy and the changing world order.

Drawing on his new political memoir, In the Realm of the Last Man, he explores the forces challenging liberal democracy and asks how the West can respond to an era of growing geopolitical instability, populism, and authoritarianism.

Fukuyama was in conversation with Financial Times chief economics commentator Martin Wolf.

If you haven't heard part one yet, we recommend jumping back an episode to catch up.

But now let's return to the conversation, live at Union Chapel.

I think this is a fascinating thesis, um, deeply pessimistic.

So let's go, uh, let's look at it.

Was Francis Fukuyama wrong about the end of history, or are we still living through the argument he began? Today's episode is part one of our recent live event with political thinker and author Francis Fukuyama.

Fukuyama joined us at Union Chapel in London to discuss the crisis facing liberal democracy and the changing world order.

More than three decades after The End of History made him one of the world's most debated political thinkers, Fukuyama reflects on a world increasingly shaped by war, populism, polarization, and authoritarianism.

Drawing on his new political memoir, In the Realm of the Last Man, he examines what has happened to the liberal democratic order and what Western democracies must do if they are to renew themselves.

Let's join our host, Martin Wolf, now live at Union Chapel.

[audience applauding] So thank you very much for the introduction.

Uh, before, uh, we start, just to lay out what's gonna happen, we're gonna have a discussion between us of, um, Francis Fukuyama's, uh, new book, which will last about an hour, then there will be 30 minutes for questions.

So it, it sort of felt like it's now, you know, and, um, that's really where the inspiration came from.

Um, and, uh, yeah, this, this recording was, was take- was live from our fifth birthday at the Union Chapel in Islington.

Chest beating mine's bigger than yours.

Which brings a rush for this hopeless cause.

On the 13th, we have a very special project and a very special venue.

Union Chapel is a neo-Gothic church located in Islington, part of London.

It's hosted in its history a band like Pink Floyd, Elton John, Amy Winehouse, Bjork, and many, many others.

It's beautiful.

Happy to have.

The evening will be topped off with a Warsaw DJ duo called All Service.

So I definitely invite everybody who wants to see this magical venue and this rich programming on the 13th of September at the legendary Union Chapel.

And that basically completes the first weekend of the festival.

And he said, oh...

I've got tickets to see Ron Sexsmith on Thursday because he'd come to Pizza on the Park on the Saturday and then the following Thursday he said, I've got tickets for Ron Sexsmith if you want to go at Union Chapel.

And I said, yeah, great.

And he said, and I've got backstage passes.

So apparently what he did was he went into work on Monday after seeing me on the Saturday and said, right, don't – Stop working, everybody.

This is what you've got to do.

You've got to get me backstage passes to the Ron Sexsmith gig on Thursday at Union Chapel.

And anyway, they got in touch with his...

But in this case, it's just been really, really good fun.

In London at the Union Chapel, Brett chose the venue.

He said, well, we haven't got much time to be doing book events between touring in Tokyo and Oslo, but let's just do one and make it the best book event ever.

We had 800 people there or something.

A content warning before we begin, this conversation contains some mature language.

Let's join the discussion now live at Union Chapel.

Thank you.

Ah, what a lovely welcome.

Uh, welcome to Union Chapel and to this special event with Dr. Adam Rutherford, exploring the history of our DNA.

So an introduction.

Um, Adam is one of our great scientists, committed, among other things, to the public understanding of science, as well as teaching students at University College London, where Adam is, as of tomorrow, professor of genetics and society.