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21st-Century Virtues
How They Are Failing Our Democracy
Series: In the National Interest
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Format: Paperback / softback
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Description
Authenticity. Vulnerability. Humility. Transparency. These are some of the 21st-century virtues proselytised by mindset gurus, paraded (if not practised) by big corporations, and lauded by professionals on LinkedIn. The quest for authenticity, for example, is central to progressive campaigns for greater diversity and inclusion, while our political and business leaders are highest praised if they appear to be humble. But are Australiaβs newest virtues fit for purpose?
In this provocative book, Lucinda Holdforth questions the new orthodoxy. She suggests that these virtues are not only unhelpfully subjective and self-referential but also, in the absence of broader civic values, fail to serve our democracy. This matters when experience around the world, especially in the United States, shows us that no democracy is guaranteed.
Holdforth reminds us that arguments for transparency and authenticity are routinely used by totalitarian regimes to justify ultra-nationalism, artistic censorship, and population surveillance. Vulnerability may be a facet of the human condition, but that is surely no reason to make it an aspiration. Well-meaning people may talk about the power of βmyβ truth, but if pushed too far this risks a dissolution of agreed facts and shared reality, breaking down the decision-making processes essential to effective democracy.
If we agree that Australia needs confident, rational, optimistic, and outward-looking citizens to shape our future, then Holdforth challenges us to reconsider the contemporary virtues shaping our society.
Series: In the National Interest
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Good International Citizenship
Why should we in Australia, or any country, care about poverty, human rights atrocities, health epidemics, environmental catastrophes, weapons proliferation, or any other problems afflicting faraway countries, when they donβt, as is often the case, have any direct or immediate impact on our own safety or prosperity? Gareth Evansβ answer is the approach he adopted when Australiaβs foreign minister. He...Paperback$2299Unit price /UnavailableAvailableShips in 4-6 weeks -
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Over the past thirty years, the internet has transformed virtually every area of human activity, social and economic. The bulk of these changes have been positive, allowing people to work, imagine, and connect with each other in new ways. The boost to economic activity has been enormous. But along with the benefits have come new risks. Our children can learn...Paperback$2299Unit price /UnavailableAvailableShips in 4-6 weeks -
Our National Shame
The exposΓ©s in early 2021 of sexism and sexual violence in Parliament House prompted women across the country (and some men) to take to stages, lecterns, and social media to express their rage and demand action. However, while these events highlighted that violence against women is an ongoing issue in our community, in many ways the allegations and incidents should...Paperback$2299Unit price /UnavailableAvailableShips in 4-6 weeks
Book Details
INFORMATION
ISBN: 9781922979094
Publisher: Monash University Publishing
Format: Paperback / softback
Date Published: 01 August 2023
Country: Australia
Imprint: Monash University Publishing
Audience: General / adult
DIMENSIONS
Width: 111.0mm
Height: 175.0mm
Weight: 250g
Pages: 96
About the Author
Lucinda Holdforth is a speechwriter and author. After time spent in the Foreign Affairs Department and the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet, she worked for the HawkeβKeating Labor government up to 1996, including as speechwriter to deputy prime minister Kim Beazley. She has since worked with chairs and CEOs of top-twenty Australian companies, entrepreneurs and innovators, and not-for-profit organisations. She is the author of True Pleasures: A Memoir of Women in Paris (2004), Why Manners Matter (2008) and Leading Lines (2019). Holdforth regards the free play of speech and ideas as essential for democracy and shared progress.
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