Inside Australian Culture: Legacies of Enlightenment Values

Description

Given Australia’s status as an (unfinished) colonial project of the British Empire, the basic institutions that were installed in its so-called ‘empty’ landscape derive from a value-laden framework borne out of industrialization, colonialism, the consolidation of the national statist system and democracy – all entities imbued with British Enlightenment principles and thinking. Modernity in Australia has thus been constituted by the importation, assumption and triumph of the Western mind – materially, psychologically, culturally, socio-legally and cartographically. ‘Inside Australian Culture: Legacies of Enlightenment Values’ offers a critical intervention into the continuing effects of colonization in Australia and the structures it brought, which still inform and dominate its public culture. Through a careful analysis of three disparate but significant moments in Australian history, the authors investigate the way the British Enlightenment continues to dominate contemporary Australian thinking and values. Employing the lens of Indian cultural theorist Ashis Nandy, the authors argue for an Australian public culture that is profoundly conscious of its assumptions, history and limitations. ‘Through powerful analysis, the five voices in this book propose a new normative rationale to counteract the modern fundamentalisation of Enlightenment underpinning Australian public culture.’ —Susan Ballyn, University of Barcelona ‘This book is a bold statement on issues of deep importance in Australian life: our cultural history, our racial politics, and the shape of our public culture. The authors have produced a highly readable and also disturbing book, most relevant to our disturbing times.’ —Raewyn Connell, University of Sydney ‘Inside Australian Culture digs into Australia’s past to provide an open scrutiny of the values that shape a culture and a nation. I commend this book for encouraging lively debates on how to foster an inclusive, equal Australia.’ —Elisabeth Porter, University of South Australia Inside Australian Culture......Page 1 Title......Page 3 Copyright......Page 4 CONTENTS......Page 5 Foreword IS AUSTRALIA A VICTIM OF THE ETHICAL LIMITS OF THE ENLIGHTENMENT? A MODEST FOREWORD FOR AN IMMODEST VENTURE......Page 7 PREFACE AND ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS......Page 13 Overview......Page 17 As Others See Us......Page 19 Towards a Reflective Culture......Page 24 Structure and Style of the Book......Page 26 Part One GETTING INSIDE AUSTRALIAN PUBLIC CULTURE......Page 29 Chapter Two THE ENLIGHTENMENT AND TRADITION IN EARLY COLONIAL SOCIETY......Page 31 Born Modern: Securing an Enlightenment Social Order......Page 32 Support and Resistance: The Persistence of Tradition......Page 38 Colonisation: Shaping an Enlightenment Tradition......Page 44 Conclusion......Page 47 Chapter Three AUSTRALIAN VALUES AND THEIR PUBLIC CULTURE(S)......Page 49 The Public Sphere and Its Architecture......Page 50 Public Culture and Contemporary Australian Values......Page 53 Constructing or Negotiating Citizenship......Page 56 Conversations in the Public Culture......Page 57 Part Two THREE MOMENTS OF THE ENLIGHTENMENT......Page 61 Chapter Four MOMENT ONE. AN ACT TO REGULATE CHINESE IMMIGRATION (1858): CELESTIAL MIGRATIONS......Page 63 Golden Hordes......Page 64 New South Wales and the Bill......Page 66 The Select Committee......Page 69 The Report of the Select Committee......Page 75 Chapter Five MOMENT TWO. CUBILLO V. THE COMONWEALTH (2000): THE ‘HISTORY DEFENCE’ – STANDARDS OF THE TIME......Page 79 Cubillo v. the Commonwealth......Page 82 Lorna Cubillo, née Nelson......Page 84 Peter Gunner......Page 85 The Judgement on History......Page 89 History and Colonisation......Page 91 Introduction......Page 95 The Local Context: Cronulla Beach, Sunday, 11 December 2005......Page 97 A Description of the Cronulla Riot as an Eruption of Localism in Sydney Print Media......Page 99 Australian Localism and the Cronulla Riot......Page 105 Conclusion......Page 110 Part Three WORKING WITH THE NECESARY OTHER......Page 111 Chapter Seven THE CLOSING OF PUBLIC CULTURE TO COMMUNAL DIFFERENCE ......Page 113 The 1858 Bill: Traditions of Tolerance and Exclusions of Enlightenment......Page 115 Cubillo v. the Commonwealth (2000): History, Civilisation and Accountability......Page 119 The Cronulla Riot (2005): The Psychology of Exile......Page 124 Conclusion......Page 127 Afterword THE EMPTINES WITHIN AND WITHOUT: ENLIGHTENMENT AUSTRALIA AND ITS DEMONS......Page 131 Chapter One. Introduction......Page 139 Chapter Two. The Enlightenment and Tradition in Early Colonial Society......Page 141 Chapter Four. Moment One. An Act to Regulate Chinese Immigration (1858): Celestial Migrations......Page 144 Chapter Five. Moment Two. Cubillo v. the Commonwealth (2000): The ‘History Defence’ – Standards of the Time......Page 146 Chapter Six. Moment Three. Australian Localism and the Cronulla Riot (2005): The ‘Barbaric Law’ of ‘He Who Was There First’......Page 150 Chapter Seven. The Closing of Public Culture to Communal Difference......Page 153 Afterword. The Emptiness Within and Without: Enlightenment Australia and Its Demons......Page 156 INDEX......Page 159