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Keywords: Humane

  • ARTS AND CULTURE

    Searching for the truth about a wartime massacre

    • Juliette Hughes
    • 15 March 2024
    3 Comments

    Two books about a 1942 massacre of Australian nurses were released last year. One is reliable, the other is notable for factual omissions. If we leave something out, are we then guilty of censorship? Alternatively, if our truth-telling offends someone else, what is our justification for so doing?

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  • AUSTRALIA

    On striving officiously to keep alive

    • Andrew Hamilton
    • 22 February 2024

    If the treatment of persons is unethical, it will inevitably lead to ethical corruption in the people and the institutions involved in administering it. It is almost impossible to participate in a policy based on such unethical premises without being complicit in it. If we do, we become blinded to what we owe one another by virtue of being human.

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  • AUSTRALIA

    Can society function in an epistemic crisis?

    • Bill Calcutt
    • 10 November 2023
    1 Comment

    As demonstrated in debates around the Voice, increasingly divergent perceptions of reality affect our dedication to our societal obligations and the upkeep of our shared core values. If left unchecked, this drift away from a shared understanding of the common good will further undermine trust and mutual respect that bind us, challenging the very foundations of a humane, civilised and inclusive society.

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  • ARTS AND CULTURE

    David Marr's penance by storytelling

    • Peter Craven
    • 20 October 2023
    3 Comments

    In Killing for Country, David Marr confronts Australia's dark colonial past, revealing unsettling truths about the Australian Native Police's brutal acts. Published during the Voice referendum, Marr intertwines personal ancestry with national guilt, urging Australians towards truth-telling and reconciliation. This isn't just history; it's a call for atonement.

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  • ECONOMICS

    Our greatest threat isn't climate change or AI. It's Moloch

    • Daniel Simons
    • 14 September 2023

    In a world increasingly governed by algorithms and AI, the ancient deity Moloch emerges as a haunting metaphor for our tech-driven sacrifices. Drawing parallels from historic rituals to present-day digital dynamics, ancient fears offer insight into today's most pressing existential challenges. 

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  • ARTS AND CULTURE

    The long way back from Bedlam to Bethlehem

    • Andrew Hamilton
    • 25 August 2023
    1 Comment

    Failed Ambitions offers a complex exploration into the history of institutions for individuals with mental illnesses and intellectual disabilities. The book addresses the evolution of attitudes towards these communities, highlighting  ongoing struggles with public stigma, systemic neglect, and the importance of giving voice to marginalised individuals.

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  • INTERNATIONAL

    Reframing juvenile justice

    • Julian Butler
    • 20 June 2023
    1 Comment

    In the midst of societal debates about crime, rehabilitation, and policing, unexpected voices often surprise us, leading to thoughtful and transformative discussions. A conversation about youth crime between an ABC presenter and the Secretary of the Police Association challenges preconceived notions about youth justice and rehabilitation, paving the way for compassionate responses and a more humane society.

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  • ARTS AND CULTURE

    The disquieting lessons of Ian McEwan

    • Peter Craven
    • 14 June 2023

    Ian McEwan's Lessons marked a sharp twist in a five-decade literary career, and presents an opportunity to reflect on his expansive body of work. The one-time literary rogue and Booker laureate now stands as the unquestioned doyen of modern English fiction, his audacious work perpetually navigating undercurrents of unease.

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  • AUSTRALIA

    Why the threat of AI is invisible

    • David Halliday
    • 13 June 2023
    1 Comment

    As artificial intelligence evolves, warnings of an AI surpassing us in cognitive abilities grow louder. Yet, these threats, which echo sci-fi nightmares, are met with skepticism and complacency, rather than fear. Are our human minds, fine-tuned by evolution to grapple with tangible, immediate threats, ill-equipped to comprehend the abstract risk of a runaway AI?

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  • RELIGION

    The Pope's economist: Mariana Mazzucato's plan to revitalize the global economy

    • Bruce Duncan
    • 01 June 2023
    2 Comments

    Prominent figures such as Australia's Treasurer Jim Chalmers and Pope Francis are turning to economist Mariana Mazzucato for insights on reforming the neoliberal capitalist system. Her vision for an equitable and sustainable global economy, aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goals, is influencing key discussions on economic fairness worldwide.

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  • ARTS AND CULTURE

    Artificing intelligence

    • Andrew Hamilton
    • 09 March 2023
    6 Comments

    Who will champion humane values, enshrine them in the development and workings of artificial intelligence? This is the question posed by Plato and Socrates to our generation, and one that demands our urgent attention as the line between the artificial and the human becomes increasingly blurred.

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  • AUSTRALIA

    Farewell the unlamented TPVs

    • Andrew Hamilton
    • 16 February 2023

    After years of intense debate, Australia has now offered permanent residence to people with Temporary Protection Visas (TPVs), which caused great suffering and were part of a deterrence policy. However, this decision is just an incremental step towards a more humane refugee program that respects secure borders and the humanity of people seeking protection.

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