The enforcement of fundamental societal values is not a smooth linear process. There are always breaks and setbacks. This chapter first identifies three main interests that hinder the recognition of fundamental values: capitalist interests, violent dictators, and authoritarian regimes. Capitalism was even a revolutionary force in early modern times, promoting the enforcement of economic freedom. Recently, these interests have been articulated in the form of neoliberalism; however, this does not lead by implication to a decline in democracy. Violent dictatorships are related to three forms of “legitimate” violence: revolutionary violence, fascist violence, and religiously underpinned violence. Four forms of reactionary movements are distinguished: the suppression of uprisings, restorations after “failed” revolutions, the seizure of power by authoritarian rulers, and the persistence of authoritarian regimes. Finally, following Kant, it is argued and shown that social catastrophes often triggered fundamental reforms. In recent times, these were the two world wars, the economic crisis, and the Holocaust. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights of 1948, which can be seen as the international legal concretization of societal fundamental values, was a direct response to these events.