Zeitschrift für Sozialwissenschaften

Abstrakt

"Once Upon a Time in America" and the End of the American Dream

Fabrizio Pezzani

History repeats itself over time because the human soul never changes, but continuously oscillates between good and evil. Freewill in uncertain decision-making is the tightrope we walk, the difficulty of understanding whether our actions are right or wrong, and whether we pursue the good or the bad. In this sense, man’s history tends to repeat itself cyclically, because human societies identify themselves variously in Cain or Abel. The history of societies and civilizations is linked to their birth, development, decline, and death. Man is perpetually confronted with changing environmental contexts and the potential for a society’s growth and development lies in its ability to creatively face the challenges and respond to the new demands of history.