ABSTRACT
In False Dawn, the “noirvoyant” philosopher of our time, John Gray, argues that humanity has entered a tragic era – a “hallucinatory New World Order” – typified by international anarchy, the rule of fiat money and a cascade of economic, military and environmental crises. There are many thinkers who, although less apocalyptic, point to a critical juncture in Western civilization. In Francis Fukuyama's view, the growing number of illiberal governments that have abandoned the rule of law and democratic accountability points towards a relinquishing of the idea of a Europe unified through shared patrimony and common institutions. Other critical observers have signalled the “decline of the idea of the West in the West”, and the end of “embedded liberalism”, based on a commitment to free trade allied with the agenda of cultural cohesion and full employment.
