Enduring Ideas: Contributionsto Australian Debates

Confined to my home office, I had time to look at my dusty files which go back about four decades. I found 30 papers and speeches, written in the 90s (and even earlier) and the early part of this century, which have never been published completely. Upon re-reading these papers, I discovered that they deal with many issues and themes which are still relevant today. It is fascinating to read papers that have been written some 30 years ago, yet deal with current issues still debated in contemporary Australia. I have collected twelve of these papers to publish them as a book entitled Enduring Ideas: Contributions to Australian Debates. I have also added three more recent papers that deal with current topical issues. Professor Moens is not afraid to express his position unambiguously and strongly. He can clearly see a society which is becoming increasingly unmoored from its roots and he is able to pinpoint some of the consequences. This is refreshing. Not every reader will agree with everything said in this book and that was certainly not Professor Moens’ objective in writing the papers it collates. -- Professor Michael Quinlan, Dean and Professor of Law, The University of Notre Dame Australia, Sydney. Chapters include: 1 Enduring Ideas: The Intellectual Landscape of this Collection. 2 On Civil Disobedience. 3 Values Clarification Courses in Australian Schools: A Parent’s View. 4 The International Protection of Minorities: An Individual or a Group Approach? 5 Honouring the Contribution of Mothers to the Family: A Letter Exploring the Proper Role of a Catholic University. 6 Speech to Celebrate the National Civic Council’s 50th Anniversary. 7 An Assessment of Australian Education. 8 Reflections on an American Sabbatical: Diversity and Free Speech. 9 The New Ethnic Consciousness: A National Language Policy for a Multicultural Australia? 10 Ralph McInerny and the Authority of the Pope: A Response to a Lecture. 11 Our Free Australian Society: Promise or Reality? 12 How to Mismanage Organisations 13 The Contribution of “The Christian Foundations of the Common Law” to Enduring Ideas 14 The Protection of Public Health: Reflections on the Covid-19 Pandemic and the Role of the State 15 Nederlands: De taal van de gemiste kansen (Dutch: The Language of Missed Opportunities)

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