Episodes
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What is the key to ‘well-tempered power’? Can the rule of law be sustained by the law alone, or does it need to be blended with distinct cultural, political, social and economic forces? The Western concept of the ‘rule of law’ has not been applied with equal success in countries globally, many of whom have all the dressings of a legal system including courts, judges and lawyers, but still experience arbitrary exercise of significant power.
For our fifth Ramsay Lecture for 2024, the Ramsay Centre is pleased to present an in-person lecture by Professor Martin Krygier titled: Well-Tempered Power: The Rule of Law in Theory & Practice.
Professor Krygier is one of the world’s leading theorists on the rule of law. His argument that the rule of law, well understood, is not merely “following the rules” but includes a culture of respect for all sorts of limitation on arbitrary power, is one of the most original and influential jurisprudential arguments of the past fifty years. In his presentation Professor Krygier explains and defends his conception of the rule of law and discusses the challenges it faces around the world today.
NSW Solicitor-General Michael Sexton SC, an esteemed commentator and author of several books on Australian history and politics, then offers a response.
Please join us for this stimulating discussion about the concepts of ‘well-tempered power’ and the rule of law.
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What is Russian exceptionalism? How can we best understand the mindset of Russians and Russian President Vladimir Putin to ensure the most effective response to the war on Ukraine? Is there a path forward to ‘getting Russia right’?
For our fourth Ramsay Lecture for 2024, the Centre is pleased to present an exploration of this topic – a recorded conversation between former Centre CEO Professor Simon Haines, and one of Australia’s foremost Russia experts, the esteemed academic, diplomat and Russian interpreter Mr Kyle Wilson.
In their discussion, the pair draw upon Mr Wilson’s direct dealings with President Putin as well as his research into Russian history and society to explore the mindset that led Russia to invade Ukraine. Mr Wilson posits that President Putin is bent on reaffirming age-old traditions of autocracy at home and empire abroad. Far from being threatened by NATO expansion in its so-called near abroad, Putin is intent on integrating Ukraine into greater Russia. Leading into this conclusion, Mr Wilson and Professor Haines explore the following:
*Mr Wilson’s thesis that contemporary political culture in Russia is a mirror of what Genghis Khan created in the Mongol Empire, a militarised empire where all power resides with an autocrat who is above the law and where people exist to serve the state.
*Russian exceptionalism and how Russians are taught to believe they are unique, ethnically and culturally superior, and owed gratitude for saving humanity on three occasions from Khan, Napoleon and Hitler.
*Why Russia believes the West is mounting a war against it and wants to influence the foreign policy of its small neighbours to the West because of the times it has been invaded from the West.
*Why despite past invasions it is not NATO expansion and fear of invasion that are driving the war on Ukraine but rather Putin’s military strongman mindset and the desire to restore to Russia parcels of lands that it believes it still has right to.
Please join us for this compelling discussion that seeks to offer better comprehension of the events unfolding in Russia and Ukraine today.
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Episodes manquant?
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What is ‘liberal education’? What distinguishes it from vocational education, and even programs of study adopted in many modern liberal arts programs? Can an education focused on ‘knowledge for its own sake’ rather than for professional pursuits and industry careers, hold appeal among current and future generations of scholars? And why is there a resurgence in liberal education movements in the West, in an era where STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) reigns supreme and artificial intelligence holds promise to do our thinking for us?
For our third Ramsay Lecture for 2024, the Ramsay Centre is pleased to present an in-person lecture by classical education expert Andrew Kern (founder and president of the CiRCE Institute in the US, Center for Independent Research on Classical Education) titled: Liberal Education in the 21st Century.
In his lecture, Andrew Kern explores the challenges and opportunities facing the liberal arts, not only in the US, but around the world. His lecture takes the audience on a compelling journey through the historical foundations of the liberal arts, stressing their enduring value in shaping well-rounded individuals capable of critical thinking and responsible citizenship. He also addresses the evolving landscape of education, considering the impact of technology, cultural shifts and intellectual and political challenges to traditional notions of learning.
Please join us for this stimulating lecture about liberal education in the 21st century.
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What does it mean for Australia that it is part of the West, but geographically remote from it? Must we choose between our geography and our traditional alliances in this multipolar age?
For our second Ramsay Lecture for 2024, the Ramsay Centre is delighted to present an in-person lecture by leading strategic analyst and University of Melbourne Deputy Vice-Chancellor Global, Culture and Engagement Professor Michael Wesley titled: Living with Leviathans: Australia in a Multipolar Age.
As an island and former British colony in Oceania, with no territorial disputes or powerful near neighbours, Australia has always had a unique “strategic gaze”; one shaped as much by how the world looks from the capitals of the culturally congruent great powers the country has formed alliances with as by how it looks from Canberra. Now, in a multipolar age where India as well as China have joined the United States in the first rank of global powers, this strategic sensibility has been challenged, without being overthrown.
In his lecture, Professor Wesley presents a blend of historical context and contemporary insights to explain our place in a world with several great but no dominant powers. He highlights the necessity for Australia to adapt diplomatically, culturally, and strategically to new realities, charting a safe course between the Leviathans of the international system.
Please join us for this stimulating discussion about the future global order and Australia’s place in it. -
Australia’s complex strategic landscape is situated at the crossroads between two global giants – China and the United States. To help explore the geopolitical challenges, economic considerations, and diplomatic nuances that shape Australia’s role in the dynamic Asia-Pacific region, our expert panellists dissect the evolving dynamics, assess potential scenarios, and offer insights into how Australia might navigate this intricate balance in Asia in order to secure its interests and contribute to regional stability.
To examine this vital topic, the Ramsay Centre is pleased to present our first Ramsay Lecture for 2024, with accomplished foreign policy experts Dr Mike Green, United States Study Centre CEO, Dr Lavina Lee, Senior Lecturer in Security Studies and Criminology at Macquarie University, Dr Milton Osborne AM, author and consultant, and Sam Roggeveen, Lowy Institute International Security Program Director on Navigating the Crossroads: Australia’s Strategic Position Between China and the US in Asia.
Please join us for this thought-provoking panel discussion.
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For our ninth Ramsay Lecture for 2023, the Centre is delighted to present an exploration of the topic Is the West eccentric? in a recorded conversation between Centre CEO Professor Simon Haines and esteemed French philosopher Rémi Brague, best-selling author and Professor Emeritus of Arabic and Religious Philosophy at the University of Paris, the Sorbonne.
In their discussion, the pair explore Professor Brague’s theory that the West is an outlier civilisation that uniquely acknowledges the superiority of some elements of foreign culture, in particular Classical culture.
Professor Brague traces this ability back to the essential role of Rome, claiming that it was the sense of inferiority that the ancient Romans felt towards the Greeks (culturally not militarily) that saw them develop an indispensable ability to draw together and assimilate cultural traditions.
This psychology of “secondarité” or inferiority never left the West, Professor Brague claims, and consequently the West with roots in Athens and Jerusalem drew heavily from both and continues to be uniquely open to other cultures and influences. The West is also more accepting than other civilisations of transmitting other influences in their whole form into its own, he argues.
Please join us for this captivating lecture with Professor Rémi Brague. -
Is our past being misrepresented in our schools, cultural institutions, and the broader society; leading to the history of the West being presented as one only worthy of shame, apology, and reparations?
Or are the ‘history wars’ merely an invention of the paranoid, to stir up synthetic controversy and prevent belated recognition of dark sides of our past?
To help explore this vital topic, the Ramsay Centre is pleased to present our eighth Ramsay Lecture for 2023, eminent UK historian Professor Robert Tombs on Are the History Wars Worth Fighting?
Professor Tombs outlines the forces he says are driving this campaign, ranging from intellectual and ideological forces to the professional managerial class, technology, and geopolitics. He examines the cost to society from historical half-truths, whether in the form of violence, a loss of sense of community, or a belief that violence, racism and exploitation in the past is a permanent feature of the West in the present day.
Professor Tombs argues that while we must recognise difficult aspects of our past, we need to “…urge society to remember accurately, fully and honestly, and to understand the vital differences between the past and the present, crucial to understanding both our forebears and ourselves.”
Please join us for this thought-provoking lecture with Professor Robert Tombs. -
If the modern West is both statistically and culturally no longer Christian, who will save us now? What remains? Are we still searching for meaning in an age of unbelief?
To help explore the psyche of the post-Christian West, the Ramsay Centre is pleased to present our sixth Ramsay Lecture for 2023, Professor John Carroll on Who Will Save Us Now? Searching for Meaning in an Age of Unbelief.
According to Professor Carroll, people in the Western tradition are, by their nature, saviour seeking and this ‘saviour syndrome’ impels people to find someone, or some equivalent, to show the way to a better life, and counter the quintessentially modern ordeal of unbelief.
Drawing on examples from literature, history and popular culture, Professor Carroll argues that people in the West are constantly investing those around them with exemplary or transcendent qualities, with some seeking a form of enchantment to bring grace into their lives. Although in the modern West the figure of Christ may appear to be obsolete for many (though of course far from it for many others), the archetype of Christ the Saviour continues to resonate and a yearning for a saviour continues to manifest itself.
Please join us for this thought-provoking lecture with Professor John Carroll. -
What is liberal education? How is it different from professional or practical education? What does it set out to do and how does it form us?
To help uncover some of the distinctive features of liberal arts and great books programs, the Ramsay Centre is delighted to present our seventh Ramsay lecture event for 2023: a panel discussion comprising leading experts on approaches to delivering successful liberal arts programs. The conversation provides a focus on the pedagogical model delivered at St John’s College, Annapolis, where fundamental texts and a core curriculum offer a unique model of self-formation.
Please join our esteemed panellists as they share their expertise and experience, and engage in a stimulating discussion about the benefits of liberal education.
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Is our secondary education at risk of becoming second-rate? Is the curriculum too fragmented and lacking in rigour? Have we focused too much on new trends in education while neglecting a knowledge-rich approach? Can we reverse the trajectory in international rankings by returning to fundamentals and laying better foundations?
To help uncover some of the challenges and opportunities in Australia’s secondary education sector and navigate the way forward, the Ramsay Centre is delighted to present our fifth Ramsay lecture event for 2023: a panel discussion comprising some of Australia’s leading educational experts and educators.
Please join our esteemed panellists as they share their expertise and experience, engage in a spirited and thought-provoking discussion, and propose practical solutionsfor moving forward.
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Do people in the West think differently to other populations across the globe? Are they psychologically peculiar? If so, why: and what role has this point of difference played in the rise of the industrialised world, and the recent dominance and prosperity of the West?
In order to explore the WEIRD nature of the West and how it was created, the Ramsay Centre presents our fourth Ramsay Lecture for 2023, Dr Joseph Henrich on WEIRD Minds: How religion, marriage and the family made the West psychologically peculiar and particularly prosperous.
According to Dr Henrich, an accumulating body of evidence reveals not only substantial global variation along several important psychological dimensions, including conformity, individualism, moral judgment, guilt, patience, trust and analytic thinking, but also that people from societies that are Western, Educated, Industrialized, Rich and Democratic (WEIRD) are particularly unusual, often anchoring the ends of global psychological distributions.
Drawing on the principal thesis of his 2020 best-seller, The WEIRDest People in the World, he shows how the most fundamental of human institutions—those governing marriage and family—influence motivations, perceptions, intuitions and emotions. He also explores how the Western Catholic Church systematically dismantled the intensive kin-based institutions in much of Latin Christendom, effectively altering people’s psychology and opening the door to new forms of voluntary organizations (charter towns, universities, guilds, monasteries), impersonal markets and eventually modern organizational competition.Please join us for this thought-provoking lecture with Dr Joseph Henrich.
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How do we have “impossible conversations”? What is the basis of belief? How do we disagree fruitfully across philosophical, ideological, and religious divides? In an age of mass education, social media, and polarisation, it is more important than ever to cultivate the art of conversation and debate. But where do we begin? In order to unravel some of the complexities of modern discourse and suggest a way forward, the Ramsay Centre presents our third Ramsay Lecture for 2023, Dr Peter Boghossian on The Socratic Method in the Western Tradition.
The Socratic Method is a form of argumentative dialogue based on asking and answering questions to draw out ideas and underlying assumptions. In this lecture, Peter Boghossian outlines how he has devised a template using the Socratic Method as a core element in discourse. He speculates on the role of dialectical processes, critical thinking, corrective mechanisms to test beliefs and assumptions, and attitudinal dispositions and also explains the method of his conversational technique known as ‘street epistemology’ for promoting reflection.
Please join us for this compelling lecture with Peter Boghossian.
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What form does Western civilisation take in modern Australia? What are our unique considerations on being part of the West? How has Western civilisation shaped our past and present, and how will it influence our future?
Listen to three accomplished Australians in this Ramsay Lecture panel discussion, as they explore Western civilisation from an Australian perspective:
* The Australian newspaper’s Editor-at-Large Paul Kelly
* Hudson Institute Senior Fellow Dr John Lee
* Former Australian Ambassador to Israel and former federal MP, Dave Sharma.
These three esteemed panellists, citizens of a modern Australia that is both Western and multicultural, as well as home to an ancient indigenous culture, shed light on topics ranging from the decline of organised religion in the West to the enduring wisdom of the Greco-Roman Stoics, from the traces of the ancient world in modern Israel to the challenges posed by the rise of China.
The discussion is guided by Ramsay Centre Academic Manager Jack Sexton. -
In this lecture, the world’s foremost living translator of Chinese literature, Emeritus Professor John Minford, explores four great works in the Chinese tradition that he believes best reveal the ancient lineaments and undercurrents still running through the hearts and spirits of Chinese people today.
Professor Minford examines:
· The I Ching c. 700 BC;
· The Tao Te Ching c. 300 BC;
· A selection of the most famous Chinese poems; and
· The Story of the Stone c. 1750-90.
Professor Minford then discusses:
*The peculiarity, as he terms it, of the I Ching, the most ancient Chinese classic, which he says is ‘really a spirit’ and which the Chinese say ‘is not a book at all’.
*The I Ching’s exploration of two polarities, yin and yang, and how they impact on all environments and situations.
*Tao or Dao, the ultimate logos and goal of all virtue, the fundamental concept of Chinese philosophy.
*The curious form of the Tao Te Ching, the ‘great mystical classic of Daoism’, which Prof. Minford reads as a composite of ‘ecstatic hymns’ and which teach that the Dao cannot be known intellectually but only through experience and embodiment.
*The contrast between Chinese and Western poetry, with Chinese poetry ‘very much about being absorbed into the universe rather than standing apart and having wonderful, deep, emotional feelings’.
*Why he believes the epic The Story of the Stone, a very long autobiographical novel by an 18th-century aristocrat, is the most influential work in Chinese civilisation, far surpassing any works relating to Confucianism, and equivalent in stature and influence to Shakespeare, Goethe, Tolstoy and Homer all rolled into one.
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About the Ramsay Centre: The Ramsay Centre for Western Civilisation is based in Sydney Australia. It was created with an endowment from the late Paul Ramsay AO, founder of Ramsay Health Care, to promote a deeper understanding of western civilisation, through scholarships, educational partnerships and events. The Ramsay Lecture series hosts speakers from all walks of life who have important and interesting perspectives relating to the world and our western heritage. Learn more about the Ramsay Centre at: ramsaycentre.org or follow us on:
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What must Australia do to counter the rising military presence of China on Australia’s doorstep? How can it best position itself to meet its security challenges through to 2033 and beyond?
In August 2022, Australian Prime Minister, the Hon Anthony Albanese MP, and Australian Minister for Defence, the Hon Richard Marles MP, announced a major review into Australia’s Defence Force capabilities and structure, to better understand where to prioritise investment.
In this special Ramsay Lecture, the Hon Kim Beazley AC, a former Australian Ambassador to the United States and former Australian Defence Minister, outlines what he sees as the task for the defence review. With expert knowledge on past defence reviews, Australian military history and Australia’s strategic alliance with the US, Mr Beazley argues that in the face of increasing Chinese aggression, Australia is out of warning time. He argues that Australia needs to seriously reprioritise its defence needs to ensure it has sufficient capability to deter and defeat attacks with its own forces.
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In the sixth Ramsay Lecture for 2022 US author and cultural critic Mary Eberstadt expands on the central thesis of her 2013 title, How the West Really Lost God, arguing that the decline in Western churchgoing is more attributable to the collapse of the Western family, especially since the 1960s, than any other commonly touted cause.
In pressing her case, she disputes prevailing arguments about why Christianity is in decline, including what she claims is the dominant theory, ‘that material prosperity drives out God.’ Citing an array of historical and statistical evidence, she shows that poorer and less educated Westerners are less likely to go to church, with greater religious devotion among the wealthy and middle class. She also examines the psychological impact of the two world wars of the 20th century, as well as the impact of industrialization and mass mobility. While conceding that these have had some impact on religious devotion, she argues that the biggest cause of religious decline is the breakdown of the family unit, flowing on from the sexual revolution of the 1960s.
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What is the effect of reading a whole curriculum of ‘Great Books’? Can prolonged exposure to such texts radically alter the course of a life? Can they speak to people from all cultural and socio-economic backgrounds? In the sixth Ramsay Lecture for 2022, Columbia University academic, Dr Roosevelt Montás speaks with Ramsay Centre CEO Professor Simon Haines and evidences, from his own life-story, how the Great Books can lift people out of their circumstances and transform lives.
The personal transformation of Dr Montás is detailed in hi,s 2021 volume, Rescuing Socrates: How the Great Books Changed my Life and Why They Matter for a New Generation. In his book, Dr Montás describes how, as a poor immigrant schoolboy from the Dominican Republic with limited English, he made a chance discovery of ‘beautiful editions’ of Socrates and Shakespeare in the neighbourhood trash in Queens, New York. His determination to read these books, to understand their ‘compelling narratives’, saw him begin a journey of discovery that took him from his lowly neighbourhood high school to study at the prestigious Ivy League Columbia University, where he rose to.direct the University’s world-famous Core Curriculum.
In a wide-spanning conversation, Professor Haines and Dr Montás discuss:
How four authors – Plato, Augustine, Freud, and Gandhi – had a profound impact on Montás’s life. The history of Columbia’s Core Curriculum as a democratising force, aimed at levelling the playing field between those who have access to cultural capital and those who do not.The peculiarity of a liberal arts education – the personal journey that differentiates it from a technical or professional education.The problematic absence of women writers in the Western canon, but why that should be a basis for learning and examination, not a reason to abandon the study of great works.How ancient texts should be read as contemporary works, relating to students’ current experiences.The intrinsic value of knowledge and the need for universities to offer students the opportunity to engage with their humanity, rather than simply be treated as customers, preparing for a vocation.Moral absolutism and the need for students to balance idealism with nuance and scepticism.Dr Montás’s mixed optimism for the future of the humanities.Please join us for this special and insightful recorded conversation between Dr Roosevelt Montás and Ramsay Centre CEO Professor Simon Haines.
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In the fifth Ramsay Lecture for 2022, former NSW Premier and Foreign Minister, and one of Australia’s most well-read public figures, and an author himself, Professor the Hon Bob Carr delivers a cogent and illuminating lecture on how politics and books have influenced and shaped his life.
In this wide-ranging address, Professor Carr, who is also the longest continuously serving Premier in NSW history, reveals his literary influences and outlines the case for ‘cultural literacy’. He discusses his favourite biographies, with special reference to US Presidents, as well as former NSW Premier William Arthur Holman and Australia’s 16th Prime Minister Ben Chifley. Professor Carr contemplates the Western canon and its relation to what is studied in schools and universities today and reflects on how we should approach figures from our past, ultimately confirming his steadfast belief that history is the most serious and urgent of the humanities.
Please join us for this insightful lecture and discussion between Professor the Hon Bob Carr and Ramsay Centre CEO Professor Simon Haines. -
In the first in-person Ramsay Lecture for 2022, former Commissioner of the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission, the Hon Dr Gary Johns, grants us an in-depth view into the current state of the Australian charity sector.
As Commissioner of the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission since 2017, former ALP Minister, the Hon Dr Gary Johns has gained unique insights into the state of the Australian charity sector. As outgoing Commissioner, he offers his praise for the immense value and distinctive contribution that charities afford to Australian society, in addition to his parting thoughts on how Australia could enhance their contribution. In a show of support for the work of charities, Dr Johns argues that all charities should be granted the privilege of a tax deduction for the donor. However, he believes that charities ‘need to demonstrate added value in pursuit of their charitable purposes’. He expresses the view that a tax deduction should be granted if charities meet a number of conditions, including efforts to raise donations and recruit volunteers, thus satisfying a ‘clear means of delivering’ test, reporting the source of government funds, and not spending charity funds on political campaign advertising.
Please join us for this insightful lecture and discussion between the Hon Dr Gary Johns and Ramsay Centre CEO Professor Simon Haines. -
In the third Ramsay Lecture for 2022, one of Australia’s leading public intellectuals and our most distinguished independent literary critical voice, Peter Craven, poses and answers the question – Classics and why we must keep them alive.
In this lecture Peter Craven journeys back in time, taking us through centuries of great works, through various translations and adaptations, through famous dramatisations, and through the infusion of ancient cultures into each another. In so doing, he discusses the classic works that have impacted him, and which he believes to be the best ever produced. Peter also reveals the connectedness of great works to one another and shows how the classics serve as points of entry to our understanding of other cultures and world history in general.
Provocatively, Mr Craven argues that it is through the classics we learn that “…the history of civilisation is at the same time, as Walter Benjamin reminded us, the history of barbarism: Athens executed Socrates and Rome executed Christ..” And that “…Renaissance England, Shakespeare’s England, was an axe-blade world, a world of religious persecution and an exorbitant abuse of power.”Mr Craven discusses the need to resist some unjustified cancelling of the classics, and to ensure that deserving modern works are passed onto future generations.
“We need to be constantly aware that literature can be a difficult pleasure, something that was not forgotten in the wake of modernism. We need to be our own library of Alexandria and resist the flames flickering all around us.”
Please join us for this ‘tour de force’ lecture and conversation between Peter Craven and Ramsay Centre CEO Professor Simon Haines.
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