Modernity's self-destruct button

What if modernity's Achilles' heel wasn't so much economic or social as demographic? British essayist Louise Perry shows how the declining birth rate in the West could precipitate the end of the model that has shaped two centuries of progress.

The original article appeared in First Things in December 2024.

As the saying goes, all politics is local. So, before moving on to the big question of this analysis (can modernity survive much longer?), I'd like to start with a quick question: does a change of government make a difference to the people of a country?

In Great Britain, the Conservative government that recently had to step down sank in part because of a set of challenges familiar to all who live in a country where incomes are high - but also, increasingly, high.