Publications
Our publications are the most important means of contact between the Centre's ideas and its general readership. Since 1976, The Centre for Independent Studies has produced some of the most authoritative publications in Australasian academia. From the influential Lands of Shame to the authoritative Will China Fail? CIS has published hundreds of publications covering topics from the social policy to legal affairs to religion and education.
In addition to books, the CIS publishes a range of shorter publications: Issue Analyses deal with controversial and current issues and Policy Mongraphs investigate and offer policy solutions. Since 1984, Policy magazine has published feature articles and reviews authored by some of the foremost national and international thinkers on public policy and ideas. The quality of writing and the diversity of topics in Policy ensure its status as a 'must read' by leading politicans, businesspeople and academics.
Hard copies of our publications are available for purchase through the bookstore. Many of the smaller publications are also available for download.
CONTRIBUTIONS
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All Ideas about Liberty Publications
TARGET30: Reducing the burden for future generations
TARGET30 is a campaign promoting smaller government and cutting government spending to less than 30% of GDP in the next 10...
A Fair Go: Fact or Fiction?
The Australian ideal of a fair go is fact rather than fiction. By offering all individuals the opportunity to capitalise...
In the Pay of the Piper: Governments, Not-for-Profits, and the Burden of Regulation
Reforms intended to boost confidence in Australian charities risk turning the charitable sector into just another arm of...
After the Welfare State: Politicians Stole Your Future … You Can Get It Back
History, economics, sociology, political science, and mathematics are the tools to understand and evaluate welfare states,...
Tax Welfare Churn and the Australian Welfare State
The welfare state currently consumes $316 billion a year; however, much of this spending is not targeted at those who need...
TARGET30 SNAPSHOT: Tax Welfare Churn and the Australian Welfare State
The welfare state currently consumes $316 billion a year; however, much of this spending is not targeted at those who need...
Re-moralising the Welfare State
The welfare state should be fair as well as caring. Fairness requires that claimants are not treated more favourably than...
TARGET30: Towards smaller government and future prosperity
TARGET30 is a campaign promoting smaller government, supported by a series of research reports providing policy solutions...
TARGET30 SNAPSHOT: Towards smaller government and future prosperity
TARGET30 is a campaign promoting smaller government, supported by a series of research reports providing policy solutions...
What Kind of Religion Is Free in the Public Square? A Warning from the United States
In the 14th Acton Lecture, Dr Ryan Messmore, President of Campion College, asks what kind of religion is free in the public...
Australia and the Asian Ascendancy: Why Upskilling is Not Necessary to Reap the Rewards
Government programs to upskill the Australian workforce for the Asian Century are a solution to a non-problem. With more...
Capitalism and Virtue: Reaffirming Old Truths
In the 2012 Annual John Bonython Lecture, eminent political scientist Charles Murray describes the larger historical forces...
Moral Wisdom and the Recovery of Virtue
What are the moral skills we need to cultivate to live effectively in the social media world of the twenty-first century...
Panacea to Prison? Justice Reinvestment in Indigenous Communities
High Indigenous incarceration has elicited a long list of so-called solutions over the years. Yet the percentage of Aboriginal...
Leadership, Liberty and the Crisis of Authority
In the 27th John Bonython Lecture, Frank Furedi discussed the distinct lack of leadership needed to deal with the many crises...
After the Riot: the Meaning for Multicultural Australia
The riot on 15 September in the Sydney CBD by Muslim protestors has raised questions about the health of Australian multiculturalism....
Australia's Asia Literacy Non-Problem
New large-scale Asia literacy programs are not necessary for Australia to prosper in the Asian Century. There are approximately...
What’s New with Anti-Semitism?
Criticism of Israeli government domestic policy has intensified in Australia with the emergence of the international Boycott,...
FEATURE: Robust Political Economy
A discussion of the challenges and criticisms facing classical liberals today.
FEATURE: Religious Liberty in Nation-States: Practice, Principles and Ideas
Religious liberty has become a more contentious issue in today’s globalised world.
You Can’t Say That! Freedom of Speech and the Invisible Muzzle
This collection of four speeches warns against the increasing restrictions on free speech in a world being taken over by...
The Kingdom of God is Forcefully Advancing and Forceful Men Lay Hold of It
In the CIS’s annual Acton Lecture on Religion and Freedom, Senator David Coltart discusses the application of biblical...
INTERVIEW: The Dignity of the Bourgeoisie
Deidre McCloskey explains to Matthew Shaffer how, around 1700, a new way of thinking gave birth to the modern world.
BOOK REVIEW: Speech Matters: Getting Free Speech Right
Speech Matters: Getting Free Speech Right by Katharine Gelber (University of Queensland Press, 2011.)
BOOK REVIEW: The Social Animal: The Hidden Sources of Love, Character and Achievement
The Social Animal: The Hidden Sources of Love, Character and Achievement by David Brooks (Random House, 2011.)
Book Review: The Price of Freedom Denied: Religious Persecution and Conflict in the Twenty-First Century
The Price of Freedom Denied: Religious Persecution and Conflict in the Twenty-First Century by Brian J. Grim and Roger Finke...
The Multi-layered Hayek
Friedrich August von Hayek was one of the intellectual giants of the 20th century. His contributions ranged from economics...
Reconciling Modernity and Tradition in a Liberal Society
The distinction between traditional and modern is not a very useful one for understanding the problems confronting liberal...
Ludwig von Mises – A Primer
In Ludwig von Mises – A Primer, Eamonn Butler presents a comprehensive yet accessible overview of the outstanding achievements...
Constitutional Conservatism
In The Centre for Independent Studies’ annual Acton Lecture on Religion and Freedom, Hoover Institution scholar Dr Peter...
BOOK REVIEW: A Revolution of the Mind: Radical Enlightenment and the Intellectual Origins of Modern Democracy
A Revolution of the Mind: Radical Enlightenment and the Intellectual Origins of Modern Democracy By Jonathan Israel (Princeton...
REVIEW ESSAY: Judge Them by Their Actions
Intellectuals and Society by Thomas Sowell (Basic Books, 2009.)
April 2010 e-PreCIS
In the introduction to the 1982 publication The New Conservatism in Australia edited by Robert Manne, the editor admits ‘to...
FEATURE: We're All Cultural Libertarians
Freedom is about more than just the absence of government.
FEATURE: No One True Culture of Liberty
Tolerance is important but difficult to define and easily subverted.
BOOK REVIEW: Ayn Rand and the World She Made & Goddess of the Market
For an author whose novels have consistently sold in the hundreds of thousands for more than half a century, Ayn Rand is...
BOOK REVIEW: Prosecuting Heads of State
Prosecuting Heads of State by Ellen L. Lutz and Caitlin Reiger (Eds.) (Cambridge University Press, 2009.)
BOOK REVIEW: Lessons From the Global Financial Crisis: The Relevance of Adam Smith on Morality and Free Markets
Lessons from the Global Financial Crisis: The Relevance of Adam Smith on Morality and Free Markets by Richard Morgan (Connor...
February 2010 e-PreCIS
Eighteen months ago in Tokyo, my two year term as President of the Mont Pelerin Society, founded by F.A. Hayek in the wake...
BOOK REVIEW: For the Common Good: Principles of American Academic Freedom
For the Common Good: Principles of American Academic Freedom by Matthew W. Finkin and Robert C. Post (Yale University Press,...
BOOK REVIEW: Up from the Mission: Selected writings
Up from the Mission: Selected Writings by Noel Pearson (Black Inc, 2009).
BOOK REVIEW: Reflections on the Revolution in Europe: Can Europe be the same with different people in it?
Reflections on the Revolution in Europe: Can Europe Be the Same with Different People in It? by Christopher Caldwell (Penguin,...
BOOK REVIEW: Reflections On The Revolution In Europe: Can Europe Be The Same With Different People In It?
Reflections on the Revolution in Europe: Can Europe Be the Same with Different People in It? by Christopher Caldwell (Penguin,...
FEATURE: Slaves of the Bonus Culture
Regulation and incentives are replacing professionalism. The inner motivation of professional integrity becomes gradually...
Invisible Hand versus Visible Fist: Securing the Future Wealth of Nations
In the 25th John Bonython Lecture, PJ O'Rourke presents his views of the economic and financial crisis that is shaking the...
FEATURE: The Rights of the Future?
The present generation cannot easily speak for people yet to be born whose circumstances we cannot know.
FEATURE: Justice and Markets
Hayek rejected justice arguments for and against the market. But his reasons do not logically rule out moderating market...
FEATURE: What Do Economic Liberals Believe?
There is more diversity of opinion among economic liberals than terms like ‘free-market fundamentalism’.
INTERVIEW: Give Smith a Chance
Paul Comrie-Thomson talks to P J O'Rourke about Adam Smith, Finance, Mustang Cars and much else.
COMMENT: Conservatism and Classic Liberalism: A Rapproachment
"Why I am Not a Liberal" This essay examines what classical liberals dislike about conservatism, asking whether or not...
BOOK REVIEW: Christian Theology and Market Economics
Christian Theology and Market Economics by Ian Harper and Saumel Gregg (Edward Elgar Publishing, 2008).
REVIEW ESSAY: On Liberty at 150
On Liberty by John Stuart Mill (Cambridge University Press, Oxford University Press, Penguin Books and many other publishers:...
INTERVIEW: The Art Instinct
Luke Malpass talks to Denis Dutton about his new book on the evolutionary origins of our appreciation for art.
Neoliberalism: The Genesis of a Political Swearword
Neoliberalism is one of the most commonly used words in political debates. Despite this, the origins of neoliberalism are...
The Servile State: Studies in Empirical Philosophy
John Anderson has two passions - philosophy and freedom, and The Servile State is philosophy analysing social and moral tendencies...
BOOK REVIEW: Not With a Bang But a Whimper: The Politics and Culture of Decline
Not with a Bang But a Whimper: The Politics and Culture of Decline by Theodore Dalrymple (Monday Books, 2009).
BOOK REVIEW:The Henson Case
The Henson Case by David Marr (Text Publishing, 2008).
ROSS PARISH ESSAY: Does Liberty Lead to Decadence?
The liberty to be decadent should be valued. The empowerment of the individual to make that choice, to be allowed to lead...
ROSS PARISH ESSAY: Liberty, Time Preference and Decadence
It is the welfare state—not liberty—that fosters decadence, says Ben O’Neill
FEATURE: Liberalism and Hate Laws: Toleration versus Tolerance
Attempts to create interpersonal tolerance undermine state toleration, writes John Shellard.
FEATURE: Classical Liberalism and International Relations
Classical liberal ideas apply between states as well as within states, explains Edwin van de Haar.
FEATURE: Art and The Enlightenment Project
Art for the audience, rather than art for art's sake, is one characteristics found in the Enlightenment view of the arts.
FEATURE: Dr Friedman and Mr Hyde: The Rise of Disaster Polemics
Naomi Klein's attack on Milton Friedman misses its target.
REVIEW ESSAY: Clive Hamilton, The Universe and Everything
Clive Hamilton asks some interesting quesitions but gives unconvincing answers, writes Jeremy Shearmur in The Freedom Paradox:...
FEATURE: Common Sense: The Past and Future of the Debate Between Libertarians and Conservatives
Fusing conservatism and libertarianism continues to work- so ignore any theoretical difficulties.
FEATURE: The Trouble With Religious Hatred Laws
Religions and their followers should receive no special protection from spoken hostility.
REVIEW ESSAY: Popper's Critique of 'Free-Market Ideology'
Popper's views on the role of government in a free society do not always fit easily within the classical liberal tradition.
REVIEW ESSAY: The New Hysteria
We can't blame the demise of Enlightenment thinking on diet doctors and Islamists alone.
The Role of Government in a Liberal Society
Modern government has grown out of all proportion, becoming a serious threat to life, liberty, property and the public...
Must Religion be a Threat to Liberty?
Does Christianity destroy or defend freedom? Answering this question, Fr Robert A. Sirico turns to the foundations of Christianity.
Adam Smith - A Primer
Despite his fame, there is still widespread ignorance about the breadth of Adam Smith's contrinbutions to economics, politics...
The False Promise of GP Super Clinics Part 2: Coordinated Care
The report’s author Jeremy Sammut examines the evidence for the Rudd government’s plan to use GP Super Clinics to boost...
OPINION: There’s No Such Thing as a Free Parking Space
Minimum parking regulations ensure there’s plenty of space for our cars at the shops but we pay a hefty price for it.
Do Secular Societies Promote Religious Extremism?
In the Annual Acton Lecture Tom Frame looks at secularism in society. He concludes that in a genuinely secular society all...
FEATURE: Ross Parish Essay Competition
Have two hundred years of liberal capitalism made us any happier?
FEATURE: Why Capitalism is Good for the Soul
Capitalism provides the conditions for creating worthwhile lives.
Milton Friedman: A Tribute
Nobel-Prize-winning economist Milton Friedman died in late 2006. In March 2007, the CIS hosted a tribute to Friedman and...
BOOK REVIEW:The Commercial Society: Foundations and Challenges in a Global Age
The Commercial Society: Foundations and Challenges in a Global Age by Samuel Gregg (Lexington Books, 2007).
BOOK REVIEW: Actual Ethics
Actual Ethics by James R Otterson (Cambridge University Press, 2006).
BOOK REVIEW: Alexis de Tocqueville: Propehet of Democracy in the Age of Revolution- A Biography
Alexis de Tocqueville: Propehet of Democracy in the Age of Revolution- A Biography by Hugh Brogan (Profile Books, 2007).
FEATURE: Cultural Nationalism: The Last Resort of Scoundrels
Protectionism has spread to culture.
FEATURE: Enlightening Islam
Leonie Phillips talks with Ayaan Hirsi Ali about Islam and liberalism.
FEATURE: Liberal Egalitarianism and Religious Vilification Laws
Equality of persons is a stronger foundation for freedom of speech than fallibility of knowledge argues.
FEATURE: Milton Friedman on the Wallaby Track
Milton Friedman and monetarism both visited Australia in the 1970s.
Religion and Politics: Contemporary Tensions
Religion has always been important but the decline in Christian practice in recent decades led to a widespread assumption...
History as the Story of Liberty: A Globalised Western Civilisation
In this lecture, Dr Herman explores how a prosperous and culturally diverse world depends on the human freedoms embedded...
BOOK REVIEW: Murder in Amsterdam: The Death of a Theo van Gogh and The Limits of Tolerance
Murder in Amsterdam: The Death of Theo van Gogh and the Limits of Tolerance by Ian Buruma (Atlantic Books, 2006).
BOOK REVIEW: Reviving the Invisible Hand: The Case for Classical Liberalism in the Twenty First Century
Reviving the Invisible Hand: The case for classical liberalism in the twenty first century by Deepak Lal (Princeton University...
BOOK REVIEW: The Conservative Soul: How We Lost It, How To Get It Back
The Conservative Soul: How We Lost It, How To Get It Back by Andrew Sullivan (Harper Collins, 2006).
FEATURE: Does Kevin Rudd Need to Save Families From Capitalism?
The Labor leader is relying on an old and discredited view of communal life in a market society.
FEATURE: Taking Classical Lliberalism to People
A classical liberal party can have influence without election victory.
FEATURE: The History of Liberty in Australia
Australians have preferred a protective form of liberty.
INTERVIEW: Choice Words from Milton
More than three decades of wisdom from the late champion of liberty, culled from the pages of reason.
FEATURE SUPPLEMENT: The Classical Liberal Constituency
Is there a constituency for classical liberal or libertarian politics?
BOOK REVIEW: The End of Commitment: Intellectuals, Revolutionaries and Political Morality in the Twentieth Century
The End of Commitment: Revolutionaries, and Political Morality in the Twentieth Century by Paul Hollander (Ivan R Dee, 2006).
REVIEW ESSAY: Surf For The Rest of Your Lives, The American Taxpayer will Support You
In Our Hands: A Place to Replace the Welfare State by Charles Murray (AEI Press, 2006).
ROSS PARISH ESSAY: Fat Kids? Go For Your Life
A critique of state intervention to prevent childhood obesity.
ROSS PARISH ESSAY: Freedom From Choice: The Government's Futile Quest To Take The Risk Out of Life
The costs of protecting people from themselves are apparent in drug prohibition.
DEBATE: On the Right To Give Offence
Freedom of speech should cede nothing to religious sensibilities.
BOOK REVIEW: Adam Smith and the Pursuit of Perfect Liberty
Adam Smith and the pursuit of perfect liberty by James Buchanan (Profile Books, 2006).
BOOK REVIEW: Picture Imperfect: Utopian Thought for an Anti-Utopian Age
Picture Imperfect: Utopian Thought for an Anti-Utopian Age by Russell Jacoby (Columbia University Press, 2005).
Family Relationship Centres: Why We Don’t Need Them
As part of a major overhaul of the Family Law Act, the Australian government plans to spend $200 million establishing a network...
Farewell to Liberty, Equality and Fraternity: Is the Left still on the Left?
In this Occasional Paper translated by Wolfgang Kasper, two German analysts, Dirk Maxeiner and Michael Miersch argue that...
BOOK REVIEW: The Ethics of Identity
The Ethics of Identity by Kwame Anthony Appiah (Princeton University Press, 2005).
INTERVIEW: The CIS at Thirty
Andrew Norton interviews Executive Director Greg Lindsay on the CIS' work and influence.
Sensory Order and Economic Order: The links between human cognition and economic freedom in Hayek's thought.
In this paper, Julie Novak illustrates the connection between The Sensory Order and Hayek's economic thought. His psychological...
BOOK REVIEW: Isaiah Berlin: Liberty and Pluralism
Isaiah Berlin: Liberty and Pluralism by George Crowder (Polity Press, 2004.)
FEATURE: Preaching to the Converted? The Limits of Religious Arguments in Politics
Religious believers should make secular arguments.
The Wealth of Generations:Capitalism and the Belief in the Future
In this John Bonython Lecture, with optimism and humour, Johan Norberg looks forward to a future which can only improve with...
Smothering By the Security Blanket: Risk, Responsibility and the Role of Government
To what extent can the government manage risk in our society without smothering self-responsibility and impinging on personal...
BOOK REVIEW: Against the Flow: Reflections of an Individualist
Against the Flow: Reflections of an Individualist by Samuel Brittain (Atlantic Books, 2005).
FEATURE: Faith and Politics: Separation or Synergy
Religious beliefs can guide politicians while preserving the separation of church and state.
FEATURE: Forced To Be Free? Compelling Voluntary Student Unionism
The ossified politics of an earlier era are behind the VSU bill.
FEATURE: The Scientist's Pursuit of Happiness
Free societies provide the conditions for happiness.
In Defence of Global Capitalism
Norberg refutes, systematically and thoroughly, the tenets of the anti-globalisation movement. Johan Norberg illustrates...
BOOK REVIEW: The Escape From Hunger and Premature Death, 1700-2100: Europe, America and the Third World
The Escape from Hunger and Premature Death, 1700-2100: Europe, America and the Third World by Robert William Fogel (Cambridge...
BOOK REVIEW: Well May We Say: The Speeches That Made Australia
Well May We Say: The Speeches That Made Australia by Sally Warhaft (Black Inc, 2004).
DEBATE: Global IP Markets Require Global Consistency
Rationalising international property rights across borders will promote creativity and prosperity worldwide: A reply to Kimberlee...
FEATURE: Do We Really Need Religious Vilification Laws?
Religious vilification laws are diminishing freedom of speech.
Liberty and Liberalism
A Protest against the growing tendency toward undue interference by the state, with individual liberty, private enterprise...
REVIEW ESSAYS: Habits of the Mind & Habits of the Heart
The Roads to Modernity: The British, French and American Enlightenment by Gertrude Himmerlfarb (Knopft, 2004).
Conspicuous Compassion: Why sometimes it really is cruel to be kind
This book by Patrick West challenges the trend towards dramatic public displays of 'concern' which have very little to do...
BOOK REVIEW: Hayek's Challenge: An Intellectual Biography of F.A. Hayek
Hayek's Challenge: An Intellectual Biography of F.A. Hayek by Bruce Caldwell (University of Chicago Press, 2004.)
Rendering Unto Caesar: New Challenges for Church and State
In considering contemporary church-state relations, Gregg argues that religious communities need to reassess their role,...
The Long Eye of the Law Closed Circuit Television, Crime Prevention and Civil Liberties
The NSW Law Reform Commission is considering a proposal that all CCTV surveillance camera footage older than 21 days should...
BOOK REVIEW: A Perilous and Fighting Life: From Communist To Conservative,The Political Writings of Professor John Anderson
A Perilous and Fighting Life: From Communist to Conservative, The Political Writings of Professor John Anderson by Mark Weblin...
BOOK REVIEW: Corrupting the Youth: A History of Philosophy in Australia
Corrupting the Youth: A History of Philosophy in Australia by James Franklin (Macleay Press, 2003).
BOOK REVIEW: Orwell's Australia: From Cold War to Culture War
Orwell's Australia: From Cold War to Culture War by Dennis Glover (Scribe Publications, 2003).
RESPONSES BY INVITATION: Three Cheers for the Anglosphere
(In response to American Grand Strategy: The Imperial Logic of Bush's Liberal Agenda by Edward Rhodes in POLICY Summer 2003.) Three...
RESPONSES BY INVITATION: Fighting Words
(In response to American Grand Strategy: The Imperial Logic of Bush's Liberal Agenda by Edward Rhodes in POLICY Summer 2003.) Fighting...
RESPONSES BY INVITATION: A Call To Inaction
(In response to American Grand Strategy: The Imperial Logic of Bush's Liberal Agenda by Edward Rhodes in POLICY Summer 2003.) A...
RESPONSES BY INVITATION: The 'Vision Thing'
(In response to American Grand Strategy: The Imperial Logic of Bush's Liberal Agenda by Edward Rhodes in POLICY Summer 2003.) The...
Christian Morality and Market Capitalism: Friends or Foes?
In the 5th Annual CIS Acton Lecture on Religion & Freedom, Ian Harper explores the moral basis of market capitalism––its...
BOOK REVIEW: Straw dogs: Thoughts On Humans and Other Animals
Straw Dogs: Thoughts on Humans and Other Animals by John Gray (Grants, 2002).
Islam in Pluralist Indonesia
In this, The Acton Lecture on Religion and Freedom for 2002, noted Indonesian academic Mohammad Fajrul Falaakh discusses...
SCHOOLS BRIEF: I, Pencil
Making pencils would not be possible without free markets, a simple truth that is often used to defend private enterprise.
INTERVIEW: Back To Human Nature?
Francis Fukuyama, internationally renowned philosopher and author of the recently released book, Our Posthuman Future: Consequence...
BOOK REVIEW: Robert Nozick
Robert Novick by A. R. Lacey (Princeton University Press, 2001.)
The Social Foundations of a Free Society
A look at five main areas where current trends may be eroding the free society - family life, schooling, community relations,...
Dangerous Protections: How Some Ways of Protecting the Freedom of Religion May Actually Diminish Religious Freedom.
The 2001 Acton Lecture on Religion and Freedom delivered by Robert Forsyth. Sometimes efforts to achieve good can backfire,...
COMMENT: Can a Liberal Society Tolerate Illiberal Elements?
Interpretation of the libertarian first principle- a belief in individual freedom- presents a difficult philosophical choice...
COMMENT: The Crisis of Human Rights
The concept of human rights evolved to buttress liberty by protecting people from excessive state power. Now it is being...
Playing with Fire: Churches, Welfare Services and Government Contracts
Striking a balance between state funding and religious autonomy is the latest challenge for church-based welfare agencies....
The Moral Foundations of Freedom: Lessons from the Religious Encounter with Democracy
What happens when a society loses it moral capital? Can democracy thrive in a value-neutral environment? These are just some...
A Short History of Australian Liberalism
This study was written in response to what I see as the misleading nature of the studies of Australian liberalism that have...
BOOK REVIEW: The Problematics of Moral and Legal Theory
The Problematics of Moral and Legal Theory by Richard Posner (Belknap Press, 1999.)
REVIEW: In The Shadow of the Reign of Terror
Tocqueville: A Biography by Andre Jardin (John Hopkins University Press, 1998.)
FEATURE: Hayek on the Role of the State: A Radical Libertarian Critique
Was Hayek really a 'minimal' state theorist? After all, he thought that we needed the state, not only as a protector but...
Shooting the Messenger: A Critique of Australia’s Internet Content Regulation Regime
With the expansion of the Internet into society, media reports of pornography, paedophiles and racist web sites have induced...
BOOK REVIEW: Governing Morals: A Social History of Moral Regulation
Governing Morals: A Social History of Moral Regulation by Alan Hunt (Cambridge University Press, 1999.)
COMMENT: A Recovery Plan for East Timor
There can be little doubt that Australia, bar its military initiative, has assumed a measure of at least temporary co-responsibility...
COMMENT: The Title Deeds of Freedom
A speech given by Mark Latham MP at The Centre for Independent Studies in November 1999 at a function celebrating the tenth...
COMMENT: The Evolution of Private Intellectual Property Regimes in Cyberspace
The Internet, being an unprecedented form of many-to-many communication, with its possibilities for anonymity, will make...
FEATURE: Hayekian Interpretations: A Debate Over 'The "Asian Way" and Modern Liberalism'
David Moore's "Hayekian Transitions" essay and "Seeing Like a Hayekian" by Chandran Kukathas.
Christianity and Entrepreneurship: Protestant and Catholic Thoughts
This monograph is a scholarly yet understandable study of entrepreneurship from both a Protestant (Preece) and a Catholic...
Economics & Ethics: The Dispute and the Dialogue
The relationship between economists and religious thinkers is often acrimonious. In this Occasional Paper, an economist Professor...
FEATURE: The Mont Pelerin Society Bali Meeting
The need remains to continue restating the case for the principles of classical liberalism in the West. A window of opportunity...
Principles for a Free Society
The need for a principled reconciliation between the prerogatives of individual liberty and social order has been a central...
Catholicism and the Architecture of Freedom
The nature of freedom is a question that has puzzled western societies from their very beginnings. In the Centre for Independent...
Religion and Liberty: Western Experiences, Asian Possibilities
In this CIS Occasional Paper, Samuel Gregg examines religion and its effects upon liberty in the West, before speculating...
FEATURE: No Third Way: Hayek and the Recovery of Freedom
It is no exaggeration to say that the ideas and work of Professor Friedrich August von Hayek have been fundamental to what...
FEATURE: The 'Asian Way' and Modern Liberalism: A Hayekian Perspective
F.A Hayek did not travel much to Asia, nor did he write anything substantial about Asia. Can Hayek, then, have anything to...
In Praise of the Free Economy: Essays
Michael Novak is the first contemporary Christian theologian to have dedicated many years of his life to a serious and open...
BOOK REVIEW: Justice for Here and Now
Justice for Here and Now by James P. Sterba (Cambridge University Press, 1998.)
BOOK REVIEW: The Crisis of Global Capitalism: Open Society Endangered
The Crisis of Global Capitalism: Open Society Endangered by George Soros (Little Brown, 1998.)
COMMENT: An Economic Perspective on Intellectual Property: The Case of Copyright
How to efficiently define intellectual property rights.
INTERVIEW: The Moral Foundations of a Free Polity
Samuel Gregg talks to Archbishop Dr George Pell.
FEATURE: Regulating The Media: It is Dangerous to Give It Special Status
Compeitition Law and the Media Sector. Separating regulation of the media from other goods and services often leads to the...
REVIEW: Learning From The Communist Experience?
The Reds: The Communist Party of Australia from Origins to Illegality by Stuart Macintyre (Allen & Unwin, 1998.)
FEATURE: Liberalism in Economics and Politics
An interview with Antonio Martino, Professor of Economics and Chairman of the Department of Political Science at the Free...
FEATURE: Society and the Crisis of Liberalism
Liberalism as a hope for society?
The Modern Mask of Socialism
After the fall of the Berlin Wall and the end of the Cold War, many people assumed that socialism was dead and that liberal...
The Road Not Taken- Hayek’s Slippery Slope to Serfdom
In 1944 Friedrich Hayek published The Road to Serfdom, a warning against the totalitarian dangers involved in central economic...
The Last Refuge: Hard and Soft Hansonism in Contemporary Australian Politics
Hard Hansonism includes a number of characteristic policies – on aboriginal affairs, protectionism, privatisation, competition...
BOOK NOTES: The Logic of Action: Two
The Logic of Action: Two by Murray N. Rothbard (Edward Elgar, 1997.)
BOOK REVIEW: Rewriting the Sexual Contact
Rewriting the Sexual Contact edited by Geoff Dench (Institute of Community Studies, 1997.)
BOOK REVIEW: On Voting: A Public Choice Approach
On Voting: A Public Choice Approach by Gordon Tullock (Edward Elgar for the John Locke Institute, Cheltenham, 1998.)
BOOK REVIEW: Ego and Soul: The Modern West in Search of Meaning
Ego and Soul: The Modern West in Search of Meaning by John Carroll (HarperCollins, 1998.)
COMMENT: Cacophony and Chaos
Internet Censorship and Content Regulation.
FEATURE: Equal Pay for Work of Equal Value?
Moving toward, or away from, wage justice for women?
BOOKNOTES: On the Relevance of Metaethics
On the Origin of MetaEthics edited by Jocelyne Couture and Kai Nielsen (University of Calgary Press, 1997.)
BOOK REVIEW: The Politics of Sex: Prostitution and Pornography in Australian since 1945
The Politics of Sex: Prostition and Pornography in Australia since 1945 by Barbara Sullivan (Cambridge University Press,...
COMMENT: Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Wealth
On the Economics of Liberal Rights.
Open for Business? Australian Interests and the OECD's Multilateral Agreement on Investment (MAI)
The proposed OECD’s Multilateral Agreement on Investment (MAI), which the Australian government has been helping to negotiate,...
BOOK NOTES: An Introduction to the Thought of Karl Popper
An Introduction to the Thought of Karl Popper by Roberta Corvi (Routledge, 1997.)
BOOK NOTES: Feminist Amnesia
Feminist Amnesia: The Wake of Women's Liberation by Jean Curthoys (Routledge, 1997.)
BOOK REVIEW: Ronald Reagan: How an Ordinary Man Became an Extraordinary Leader
Ronald Reagan: How an Ordinary Man Became an Extraordinary Leader by Dinesh D'Souza (The Free Press, 1997.)
BOOK REVIEW: Rooting Democracy
Rooting Democracy: Growing the Society We Want by Moira Rayner (Allen & Unwin, 1997.)
REVIEW: Community Rules
The New Golden Rule: Community and Morality in a Democratic Society by Amitai Etzioni (Basic Books, 1996.)
COMMENT: The Perils of Republics
In practice unanimity of will in the political sphere does not occur, making the reach of authority problematic.
FEATURE: The New Populism in Australia
Since the 1970s, Australians have been living through an age of uncertainty or, perhaps more positively, an age of redefinition.
Nationality
Is the nation state the best form of political organisation? Should a country’s borders be based on racial or linguistic...
The Morality of Capitalism
Capitalism is winning the economic battle all over the world. The collapse of socialism has left it without serious challenge...
BOOK REVIEW: Renaissance: The Rebirth of Liberty in the Heart of Europe
Renaissance: The Rebirth of Liberty in the Heart of Europe by Vaclav Klaus (Cato Institute, 1997.)
BOOK REVIEW: The Idea of Decline in Western History
The Idea of Decline in Western History by Arthur Herman (The Free Press, 1997.)
REVIEW ARTICLE: Charles Murray's Libertarianism
What It Means To Be A Libertarian: A Personal Interpretation Charles Murray (Broadway Books, 1997.)
FEATURE: The Moral Habit
An interview with James Q. Wilson.
EDITORIAL: Spring 1997
Editorial for POLICY Magazine Spring 1997.
BOOK NOTES: When Strangers Cooperate: Using Social Conventions to Govern Ourselves
When Strangers Cooperate: Using Social Conventions to Govern Ourselves by David W. Brown (The Free Press, 1996.)
BOOK REVIEW: Hayek and After: Hayekian Liberalism as a Research Programme
Hayek and After: Hayekian Liberalism as a Research Programme by Jeremy Shearmur (Routledge, 1996.)
BOOK NOTE: Borders in Cyberspace: Information Policy and the Global Information and Infrastructure
Borders in Cyberspace: Information Policy and the Global Information and Infrastructure edited by Brian Kahin and Charles...
COMMENT: On The Fifth Anniversary of Hayek's Death
With the death of Friedrich A. von Hayek five years ago, we lost a last representative of a gifted generation of classically...
FEATURE: Politically Impossible?
How ideas, not interests and circumstances, determine public policy.
FEATURE: Threats to Freedom: Then and Now
The Mont Pelerin Society after 50 years.
BOOK REVIEW: The Political Thought of Karl Popper
The Political Thought of Karl Popper by Jeremy Shearmur (Routledge, 1996.)
BOOK REVIEW: Libertarians and Liberalism: Essays in Honour of Gerard Radnitzky
Libertarians and Liberalism: Essays in Honour of Gerard Radnitzky by H. Bouillon (Avebury-Ashgate Publishing, 1996.)
OBITUARY: Bert Kelly
Charles Robert Kelly: 1912-1997.
FEATURE: Fear of Freedom
Political correctness, free speech and alien invasions.
FEATURE: Anders Chydenius' National Profit & Loss
A Swedish Smith.
Markets, Morals and Community
Few people today doubt the market’s contribution to prosperity, but still there are powerful intellectual traditions opposing...
BOOK REVIEW: The Age of Rights
The Age of Rights by Norberto Bobbio, translated by Allan Cameron (Polity Press, 1996.)
BOOK REVIEW: On the Cards: Privacy, Identity and Trust in the Age of Smart Technologies
On the Cards: Privacy, Identity and Trust in the Age of Smart Technologies by Perri 6 and Ivan Briscoe (Demos, 1996.)
Institutions of innovation and Poverty
Western nations benefit from social institutions that create prosperity and liberty. The separation of the economic and political...
BOOK REVIEW: An Intellectual History of Liberalism
An Intellectual History of Liberalism by Pierre Manent (Princeton University Press, 1994.)
BOOK REVIEW: Jurisprudence of Liberty
Jurisprudence of Liberty edited by Suri Ratnapala and G.A Moens (Butterworths, 1996.)
BOOK REVIEW: Isaiah Berlin
Isaiah Berlin by John Gray (HarperCollins, 1995.)
FEATURE: The CIS At Twenty
Greg Lindsay talks to Andrew Norton on the 20th anniversary of the Centre for Independent Studies.
BOOK REVIEW: Civilizing Cyberspace: Policy Power, and the Information Superhighway
Civilizing Cyberspace: Policy Power, and the Information Superhighway by Steven E. Miller (Addison-Wesley/ACM Publishing,...
FEATURE: Nationality, Utility, Liberty
Andrew Norton talks to Greg Melleuish and Chandran Kukathas about the nature of Australian Liberalism and the challenges...
FEATURE: The Unended Quest For Liberty: The Legacy Of Murray Rothbard
The death of Murray Rothbard is a grievous blow to the libertarian and classical liberal movement.
FEATURE: Public Figures and The Press
Privacy and media accountability.
INTERVIEW: Can Individualism Survive In A Collectivist Age?
Kenneth Minogue, a political theorist with a long-time interest in liberalism, talks to Andrew Norton
FEATURE: Brigitte Berger's Cautious Conservatism
After speaking with Brigitte Berger, the 1995 John Bonython Lecturer, Policy editor Andrew Norton analyses her distinctive...
BOOK REVIEW: The War of the Words: The Political Correctness Debate
The War of the Words: The Political Correctness Debate edited by Sarah Dunant (Virago Press, 1994.)
BOOK REVIEW: Individualism and Collectivism
Individualism and Collectivism by Harry C. Triandis (Westview Press, 1995.)
The Social Roots of Prosperity
A society’s prosperity depends on its families. That is the central message of Brigitte Berger’s analysis of economic...
BOOK REVIEW: Conditions of Liberty: Civil Society and Its Rivals
Conditions of Liberty: Civil Society and Its Rivals by Ernest Gellner (Hamish Hamilton, 1994.)
BOOK REVIEW: The Index of Economic Freedom
The Index of Economic Freedom by Bryan T. Johnson and Thomas P. Sheehy (Heritage Foundation, 1995.)
BOOK REVIEW: Bioethics in Liberal Society
Bioethics in a Liberal Society by Max Charlesworth (Cambridge University Press, Melbourne, 1993.)
Karl Popper’s Politics: Liberalism versus Democratic Socialism
Karl Popper (1902-94) was one of the twentieth century’s leading philosophers. In this Occasional Paper Jeremy Shearmur...
The Political Economy of Freedom
The Political Economy of Freedom is an eloquent discussion of the importance of a diffusion of power in maintaining freedom.
The Century of Networking
In this John Bonython Lecture, Rupert Murdoch reflects on the coming century of networking. In contrast with pessimistic...
FEATURE: An Interview with Conor Cruise O'Brien
Nationalism, the Republic and what Edmund Burke would have thought of it all.
OBITUARY: Karl Popper
The death of Karl Popper signals the twilights of the era when philosophy in the English speaking world was dominated by...
REVIEW ARTICLE: Two Faces of Australian Republicanism
Monarchists and minimalists risk missing the important constitutional issues.
BOOK REVIEW: Thinking the Unthinkable: Think-Tanks and the Economic Counter-Revolution 1931-1983
Thinking the Unthinkable: Think-Tanks and the Economic Counter-Revolution 1931-1983 by Richard Cockett (HarperCollins, London,...
BOOK REVIEW: The Battles that Shaped Australia: The Australian's Anniversary Essays
The Battles that Shaped Australia: The Australian's Anniversary Essays edited by David Horner (Allen & Unwin, 1994.)
The Moral Sense: An Essay
The distinctive feature of The Moral Sense: An Essay is that it uses the findings of modern science and social science to...
FEATURE: Defending Negative Liberty
The importance of there being no impediments to action.
FEATURE: Freedom of Expression
The High Court takes steps to protect freedom of expression.
REVIEW ARTICLE: Civic Community and Modern Democracy
Making Democracy Work: Civic Traditions in Modern Italy by Robert D. Putnam, Robert Leonardi and Raffaella Y. Nanetti (Princeton...
BOOK REVIEW: Liberalism
Liberalism edited by Richard J. Arneson (Edward Elgar, Aldershot, 1992.)
BOOK REVIEW: Rethinking Theory
Rethinking Theory by Richard Freadman and Seumas Miller (Cambridge University Press, Melbourne, 1992.)
FEATURE: A Road to Hell Paved With Good Intentions
Hayek's warning to the world.
Literature and Freedom
In this CIS Occasional Paper, Mario Vargas Llosa highlights the mutually beneficial relationship between literature and freedom....
FEATURE: Keeping the Australian Republic
Harry Evans, Clerk of the Senate, draws on Republican theory and practice to show that federalism is not an obstacle to Australian...
Endangered Freedom
In the fifth John Bonython Lecture, Thomas Sowell argues that public life in Western countries is blighted by an ‘unconstrained...
Questions of Conquest and Culture
In the tenth John Bonython Lecture, the Peruvian writer Mario Vargas Llosa reflects on the key question: ‘Can these cultures...
Economics, Faith and Moral Responsibility
In this CIS Occasional Paper, Robert Sirico defends the institutions of the free and open society from a Christian standpoint.
Lessons from the Freiburg School: The Institutional Foundations of Freedom and Prosperity
West Germany’s post-War economic success was based on the ideas of the ‘Freiburg school,’ a school of liberal economists,...
BOOK REVIEW: Reviving the Vigorous Virtues
The Anatomy of Thatcherism by Shirley Robin Letwin (Fontana, 1992.)
Why I Am Not a Conservative
Liberals who uphold the idea of a free society in which both economic and civil liberties are respected are often regarded...
Freedom, Tradition, Conservatism
This CIS Occasional Paper reproduces an essay of his first published in 1960. In it, Meyer argues that the ‘libertarian’...
FEATURE: For Compulsory Voting
Australia's practice of compulsory voting is widely regarded as an infringement of individual liberty that benefits only...
FEATURE: Why Australia's Divorce Law Should Be Reformed
The law on divorce should be reformed to give effect to a 'democratic compromise' between liberal and conservative concerns.
REVIEW: Secret Ballot, Secret Malice
Politics and Process: New Essays in Democratic Thought edited by Geoffrey Brennan and Loren E. Lomasky (Cambridge University...
BOOK REVIEW: Recurrent Anti-Capitalist Bias
The Selling of the Australian Mind by Stephen Knight (William Heinemann Australia, 1990) and The Temperament of Generations:...
OBITUARY: F. A. Hayek
F. A. Hayek, 8 May 1899 - 23 March 1992: An appreciation.
FEATURE: The New World Order and the 'Right to Intervene'
The establishment by the UN of a safe haven for the Kurds in Northern Iraq illustrates the emergence of a new doctrine in...
BOOK REVIEW: Liberalism and Minority Cultures
Liberalism, Community and Culture by Will Kymlicka (Clarendon Press, 1989.)
Equalising People: Why Social Justice Threatens Liberty
In this Occasional Paper, David Green challenges the pursuit of social justice on three grounds: It is based on a shallow...
FEATURE: Universal Reason Covers All: Hiram Caton's The Politics of Progress
"The Libertarians' political beliefs are shaped by a legend of man's progress from the shackles of customary society to...
NOTES AND COMMENTS: The Blessing of Market Capitalism
In Centesimus annus, the Pope is unsparing in his criticism of communism, socialism and (less explicitly) the Catholic flirtation...
Dismantling Socialism: A Preliminary Report
In the eighth John Bonython Lecture, Václav Klaus, Finance Minister of Czechoslovakia, gives an account of his government’s...
The Fraternal Conceit: Individualist versus Collectivist Ideas of Community
In this Occasional Paper, Dr Chandran Kukathas defends the liberal conception of civil association, in which individuals...
REVIEW ARTICLE: Rationalist or Anti-Rationalist?
Chandran Kukathas' Hayek and Modern Liberalism.
FEATURE: The Private Interest Theory of Politics: Liberal or Authoritarian
Many liberals have accepted the private interest theory of politics as an explanation of the political obstacles to economic...
FEATURE: The Private Interest Theory of Politics: Liberal or Authoritarian?
Many liberals have accepted the private interest theory of politics as an explaination of the political obstacles to eocnomic...
FEATURE: Transition to Freedom? The Cato Institute's Moscow Conference
In September 1990, the Cato Institute held a conference in Moscow entitled Transition to Freedom: the New Soviet Challenge....
BOOK REVIEW: Age of Illusion
The Age of Democracy: The Politics of Post Fordism by John Matthews (Oxford University Press, 1989.)
Socialism Is Dead But Leviathan Lives On
In the seventh John Bonython Lecture, James Buchanan observes that the death of socialism has not been accompanied by the...
Are We Winning?
Although classical liberal ideas are at present in the ascendancy, there is no guarantee that they will succeed in the long...
FEATURE: How the NSW Anti-Discrimination Laws Threaten Free Speech
How far should the law go in protecting social groups from public vilification? Tony Kastigiannis argues that the Anti-Discrimination...
The Egalitarian Conceit: False and True Equalities
Professor Kenneth Minogue traces the roots of modern egalitarianism to the Greek and Christian culture from which Western...
FEATURE: Are There Any Welfare Rights?
The standard arguments justifying the welfare state in terms of a moral right to welfare remain controversial and inconclusive....
FEATURE: Liberty and Corporation
In March 1989, Hugh Morgan received the 1988 Adam Smith Club Award for outstanding services to liberty. An edited version...
FEATURE: The Open Society Revisited
Dr Naomi Moldofsky insists that the Open Society that Karl Popper advocates is impossible without an open market system.
Endangered Freedom
In the fifth John Bonython Lecture, Thomas Sowell argues that public life in Western countries is blighted by an ‘unconstrained...
Traditions of Liberalism: Essays on John Locke, Adam Smith and John Stuart Mill
The1980's has seem a remarkable revival of Classical Liberalism, the political philosophy that places a high value on individual...
The Enemies of Progress
In the third John Bonython Lecture, Ralph Harris recounts the advances that economic freedom and entrepreneurship have brought...
Ideas about Freedom: A Discussion
Kenneth R. Minogue and John Gray, in separate essays, examine the history and assumptions behind liberalism and conservatism....
The Anti-Capitalist Mentality: Post Mortem for an Ideology
In the Second John Bonython Lecture, Professor R. M. Hartwell traces the history of the anti-capitalist mentality back to...
Hayek's 'Serfdom' Revisited
Essays by economists, philosophers and political scientists on The Road to Serfdom after 40 years. Tributes by Norman Barry,...
Chaining Australia: Church Bureaucracies and Political Economy
Edited by Geoffrey Brennan and John K Williams. Contributions by Geoffrey Brennan, Paul A McGavin, John K Williams, Hugh...
The Role of the Entreprenuer in the Economic System
In the Inaugural John Bonython Lecture, Israel Kirzner strongly defends the entrepreneur's role in keeping our economy healthy...
The Politics of Multiculturalism
For several years now, politicians of all persuasions have been telling us that Australia is a 'multicultural society'. Purely...
Liberty, Justice and the Market
Lauchlan Chipman challenges us not only to reject the notion that there is a conflict between liberty, justice and the market,...
Social Justice, Socialism and Democracy: Three Australian Lectures
Three lectures on democracy by F.A. Hayek.
