Australian Labor and the Socialist Tradition

Amidst the turmoil of the so‐called ‘death of socialism’, both in Australia and elsewhere, there has been renewed debate about what socialism should be taken to mean. This paper attempts to come to terms with the competing claims about, in particular, socialism within the Australian Labor Party and, in general, how better to understand the meaning of socialism. A comparison and contrast between the first principles of liberalism and socialism helps to illuminate some of the inadequacies of Marxist criticisms of parliamentary Labor. In addition, the argument is made that if we are willing to give greater emphasis to questions of means and ends, socialism can be seen to be part of Labor's historic mission. Far from being a defence of the Hawke administration, however, the case is made that there has been, under Hawke, a fundamental break with the democratic socialist tradition; that the difference is in kind, not degree.     

The Idealist Dispute in Anglo-American Geography

Leonard Guelke proposes an 'idealist' approach to geography. His critics see it as either irrelevant or incorrect. But both Guelke and his critics adopt a misguided approach to the problem of geographical explanation, assuming that the resolution of this or some other philosophical dispute will provide us with a theory which can then be applied in geography. An approach that begins not with philosophical theories but with the world of people and places will be more useful. The idea of 'forms of life' is offered as a focus for that concern and as a tool for criticizing Guelke and his critics.
Leonard Guelke propose une approche « idéaliste >>à la géographie. Ses critiques considèrent ceci comme non pertinent et inexact. Mais Guelke et ses critiques adoptent une approche malencontreuse au problème de l'explication geographique, assumant que la résolution de tel ou tel débat philosophique fournira une théorie applicable à la geographie. Une approche qui ne commencerait pas pardes théories philosophiques mais pale rnonde des hommes et des lieux s'avèrerait plus utile. Nous proposons le concept de « formes de vie >> (lebensform) comme un point de base en ce qui concerne cette approche et comme un outil avec lequel critiquer Guelke et ses détracteurs.     

Tradition,myth and the dilemma of Australian foreign policy

For a middle power with a relatively short history of framing a self determined foreign policy, Australia has actively sought to engage with both its immediate region and the wider world. Elite agreement on this external orientation, however, has by no means entailed consensus on what this orientation might involve in terms of policy. Consequently, two, often conflicting, traditions and their associated myths have informed Australian foreign policy-making. The most enduring tradition shaping foreign policy views Australia as a somewhat isolated bastion of Western civilisation. In this mode Australia's myth is pragmatic, but uncertain and sees Asia as both an opportunity and a potential threat which requires the support and counsel of culturally similar external powers engaged in the region to ensure stability. Against this, an alternative and historically later tradition crafted a foreign policy that advanced Australian independence through engagement with a seemingly monolithic and increasingly prosperous Asia. This paper explores the evolution and limitations of these foreign policy traditions and the myths that sustain them. It further considers what features of these traditions continue to have resonance in a region that has become more fluid and heterogeneous than it was during the Cold War and which requires a foreign policy flexibility that can address this complex and strategically uncertain environment.     

A Presence in the West: Religious Contributions to the Secular Ideology of an Australian University

Between 1972 and 1984, the rise of social justice and religious vocational movements in an increasingly self‐conscious Western Sydney intersected with the rise of an increasingly influential cadre of politicians, public servants, and educationalists. Mobilising a broader sense of grievance, and organising in community, political, and social groups, these people contributed to a widespread campaign for a university in Western Sydney which extended from the streets of Mount Druitt to the Prime Minister's Office. This article traces the contribution of these religious motivations to the secular legitimisation, mission, and implementation of the University of Western Sydney.     

维多利亚晚期英国宗教的世俗化

在维多利亚晚期,英国宗教一方面呈现出“信仰危机”,经常去教堂做礼拜的信徒日渐减少,教堂冷清;另一方面,宗教教派十分活跃,广泛地参与现世的社会活动。这些现象的出现源于英国宗教的历史传统及其社会的深刻变革。