THE END OF HISTORY AS THE ULTIMATE STORY.

PEOPLE CANNOT LIVE WITHOUT STORIES. WHERE YOU FIND A SMALL GROUP, THERE IS A STORY THAT HOLDS IT TOGETHER. HUMANKIND HAS LONG SINCE MOVED BEYOND THE STAGE OF KINSHIP-BASED SOCIAL COHESION. GROUPS ARE LARGER, THEIR MEMBERS DON'T KNOW EACH OTHER OR HAVE ANY CONNECTION BEYOND STORIES ABOUT THEMSELVES, WHAT THEY HAVE BEEN, WHAT THEY ARE AND WHAT THEY WILL BE. THESE STORIES ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE EXISTENCE OF PEOPLES, THE SOURCE OF GROUP VALUES AND IDENTITY. THE MOST ATTRACTIVE STORY IS THE END-OF-THE-WORLD, ESCHATOLOGICAL STORY. ALL RELIGIONS HAVE IT, AND WE CAN HARDLY SPEAK OF A RELIGION UNLESS WE ATTACH TO IT A STORY OF THE ENDLESS END. IT WAS ONLY WHEN PHILOSOPHERS STOLE THE IDEA THAT THE GREAT SYSTEMS WERE BORN, WHICH ARE STILL BEING DISCUSSED CENTURIES LATER. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]