Frank Furedi: The promise of choice and control
Taken from a speech by the professor of sociology at the University of Kent to the 'Spiked' conference in London
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Your support makes all the difference.It is striking how feeble today's affirmation of modernity is. A profound sense of cultural disorientation invites pessimistic conclusions. That is why the terrible events of 11 September have been endowed with such epochal significance. The destruction of the World Trade Centre is often interpreted as an attack on modernity; and judging by the weak intellectual response to this attack, the terrorists seem to be bombing their way through an open door.
Compared to the profoundly pessimistic and anti-rationalist intellectual currents of our times, Francis Fukuyama's thesis on "The End of History" comes across as positively forward looking. Fukuyama at least recognises that the present stage of human development represents an advance over previous ones.
Despite Western culture's profound sense of disappointment with the human subject, individuals possess an unprecedented potential for influencing the way they live their lives. It is only now that the promise of choice and control has acquired meaning for a significant section of the public.
History does not issue any guarantees. Purposeful change is a risky enterprise. But whether we like it or not, the taking of risks in order to transform our lives and ourselves is one of our most distinct human qualities. The making of history, too, is one of those transformative experiments that helps us to realise our humanity.
By definition, experiments yield uncertain results. It is because of the disappointments of the past that we feel so uncomfortable with uncertainty, and are so ready to declare the end of history. And for some time, the intimation that real history is just about to begin is likely to inspire dread rather than enthusiasm.
But events like 11 September indicate that we cannot take time out indefinitely. In the end, purposeful human intervention and experimentation is the only realistic option. Taking such risks is an obligation our nature as humans imposes on us.
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