Thomas Hobbes described a dark place called the ‘state of nature’. But he also showed us how to avoid falling into it.
Articles on Political philosophy
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We need to look at what’s behind arguments for and against drug testing welfare recipients to avoid repeating the same debate, over and over.
The University of Reading wrongly judged that Geras’ essay, which discusses political violence, might fall foul of the government’s Prevent strategy.
Our current politically turbulent times in the US are difficult – but not unusual. History shows that fragility is the norm. Get used to it. What is unusual are moments of calm.
Our society is now intolerant of those who are intolerant of others; they can be legally penalised. But is that in itself a failure of tolerance?
The introduction of an African passport has the capacity to bring about increased migration of Africans within Africa.
The concept of ‘free speech’ is devilishly difficult, and depends greatly on a person’s political and philosophical viewpoint.
Australia’s political system would be better off with more ordinary people and fewer career party politicians in the Senate. It would thus be more representative of ordinary Australians, not less.
Many of us are happy for governments to increase spending on public services, but we don’t like the idea of higher taxes. There are some good reasons for this.
A vote on whether same-sex couples can get married is discriminatory because it applies a standard to them that does not apply to heterosexual couples.
History offers countless examples of social change that is now consolidated and popularly supported, but which was only achieved through protests that were judged at the time to be extreme.
We don’t know what will come out of the Senate inquiry into the ‘nanny state’, but we do have some idea about what Australia would look like based on libertarian principles.
David Leyonhjelm is a conviction politician whose positions are governed by principle, not populism. But he is exposing the disturbing moral thinness of the libertarian principles he espouses.
We should never accept that a Human Rights Commission ought to be non-partisan or depoliticised. Without both, it would be incapable of doing its job.
To endow animals with human emotions has long been a scientific taboo. But if we do not, we risk missing something fundamental about both animals and us. – Frans De Waal Some time ago I began reading scientific…
Disaffection with Australian politics seems visceral and entrenched. An Essential poll in late June found that only 25% of those polled had trust in the federal parliament. Discussing this poll, Michelle…
We propose things which people regard as being on the edge of lunacy. The next thing you know they’re on the edge of policy. – Madsen Pirie, President of the Adam Smith Institute, 1987 In a speech in London…
It is a truth universally acknowledged that the public funding of arts and culture will cause political strife. Reasonable people just do not agree on this, and can be surprisingly quick to accuse others…
Governments are reining in spending on welfare, education and health care right across the western world. With the Commission of Audit recommending austerity measures that seemingly point to a tough federal…
Tim Wilson, Australia’s Human Rights Commissioner, has announced that he will take a “classical liberal” approach to human rights. There is a fair degree of confusion about what this means. Classical liberalism…
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