Human Ecology

If it seems like a lot of public debates are hijacked ordistorted, that’s because the Australian Government stacks the deck by fundingadvocacy groups who lobby for progressive causes. Jordan Abouzeid crunched thenumbers. We dig into his report, which leads to broader discussion on Australiaand emerging political forces.

Martin Fitzgerald, head of philosophy at Redfield College, joined me to outline some moral basics as part of a series on morality in an upside down world.

Is Gen Z entitled, or are they facing hurdles their parents didn't face? Are they as satisfied with life as other generations? Parnell Palme McGuinness, researcher at the Centre for Independent Studies, looked into what's going on with the emerging generation. Generation Trapped report Parnell's Sydney Morning Herald Column and X profile (00:00) Introduction (00:35) Research aims and findings (09:10) Going deeper on money and agency (16:42) Causes of the problem (21:28) Going deeper on the post-traditionalists (24:54) The female left-wing vote and the apparent inconsistency between preferences and votes (29:33) Wrapping up

I interview Maxim Smith, the 20-year-old author of The Preparation, a manual for turning boys into men, through character, virtue, skills, higher learning, hobbies and recreation. Maxim is half way through as the first to trial the the program, and already he's come a long way. Now his future looks bright - he's skilled, confident and has a good understanding of himself. A possible gap year, precursor or substitute for university, The Preparation is a program all parents of boys should consider. (00:00) Introducing Maxim Smith (01:59) A highly skilled 20-year-old (04:49) What is The Preparation (09:33) Building the modern Renaissance Man (12:35) Be, do, have – the three most important words in any language (13:42) A substitute for university? (18:38) What does Maxim’s future look like after The Preparation? (24:30) Fundamental differences between The Preparation and university (30:46) Costs and benefits of university (35:31) Role models and the patron-client relationship (43:12) Plugging the book and how to contact Maxim Get The Preparation book or find the program's Substack , or follow Maxim's progress as he continues through the program.

On X, I described the report the Page Research Centre just released as "remarkable" - a genuinely pro-family policy agenda for Australia aimed at a long-term rebuilding of the country and the social fabric, and something that can offer genuine choice for families. We touched on how the research fits into the agenda set out by the Alliance for Responsible Citizenship (ARC) and Aspire here in Australia (see episode 13), and the broader social and political realignment in Australia. It also ties in with episodes 8 and 9 on childcare in Australia. There's a lot to chew on in this episode, I hope you enjoy it. (00:00) Introduction (05:16) The need to rebuild Australia; in the footsteps of the Alliance for Responsible Citizenship (13:14) Challenging current arrangements and narratives (19:40) The role of policy in setting the tone for the country and conveying value to families (24:24) Ultimately solving for one metric (27:29) How responsive will people be to the new policy settings? (29:39) Cultural and institutional change in childcare (35:49) The demand for, and trade-offs around, time with your children (41:36) Specific policy proposals contained in the paper (47:07) How the paper fits into the broader realignment in Australia (53:28) Finding Gerard and Virginia online Gerard's X account: @gerardgholland Virginia's Instagram account: @parentsworkcollective Episode 8 with Dr Gigi Foster on childcare Episode 9 on childcare

We've had it pretty good for a long time - a high standard of living and a relatively safe country - but things are starting to slip here in Australia. Cian Hussey, Research Fellow at the Institute of Public Affairs, has been examining this on his outstanding and highly underrated Substack, No Permanent Solutions . He joined me to diagnose Australia's current ills, outline the trajectory we're on as a country, and provide his perspective on how to effect change. Cian's IPA page (00:00) Introduction (05:00) Meaning of 'No Permanent Solutions' (07:08) Australia's problems and trajectory (13:46) Australia relative to other countries (18:38) Deep roots of Australia's malaise (26:45) Views on trade, immigration, energy, speech and culture (49:48) Cian's view on change (59:00) Individual agency, organising and doing something (1:02:17) Concluding thoughts

Recently, three new organisations launched on the right of Australian politics, responding to political failure and the increasingly worrisome direction of the country. A very brief commentary from me on their launches, shared themes, and goals, while highlighting a few substantive points. More guests to follow on this important Australian project. (00:00) The three new organisations: Aspire, Rebuild Australia, the Surfers Paradise Institute (04:41): Common themes and a comment on trade and domestic economic and social policy settings (11:10) Focus for the next year

We discuss Johann Kurtz’s book, Leaving a Legacy , specifically: *the ethics of passing on wealth to your children *the importance of building family virtue and passing on a strong culture, and *an aristocratic ‘Benedict Option’ (00:00) Introduction (05:38) Matt's opening remarks (08:50) Marty's opening remarks (15:08) Dani's opening remarks (22:24) Charity vs philanthropy, local vs global charity (45:55) Questioning aristocracy; an aristocracy of excellence (54:42) Family culture and an aristocratic Benedict Option (1:01:40) Modernity as a 'myth of normal' (1:06:40) Concluding thoughts My X account: https://x.com/mattsinglebrush My Substack: https://humanecologyaus.substack.com/ Johann's X account: https://x.com/JohannKurtz Johann's Substack: https://becomingnoble.substack.com

The best framework I've found for maximising willpower, setting goals to succeed, and competing desires. (00:00) Introduction (01:39) The will and competing desires (03:55) Desires vs demands (06:43) Realistic goals (09:24) Renouncing short-term desires (10:49) Bringing it together and concluding

Here I provide my own perspective on childcare - the decisions facing modern families, facts we have to confront about childcare, and the difficulty but possibility of effecting change. This follows from episode 08 with Dr Gigi Foster. ( Apple Podcasts link ) (00:00) Introduction (00:49) Part 1 - economic reality (03:27) Part 2 - basic facts of childcare (10:31) Part 3 - Discussing options for change

The fact that our society, on mass scale, places very young children in childcare, has been on my mind, and so I decided to look into it. Firstly, I spoke with Dr Gigi Foster of UNSW about her analysis of Australian childcare. She breaks down the major issues and proposes interesting solutions. Along the way we talk culture, big government, and community, and her thinking aligns with some emerging themes of the Human Ecology podcast. Secondly, I crunched some data on childcare, which you can find here on the Substack post that accompanies this episode. Finally, I'll release a solo follow up episode where I'll explore the issue further. This is an issue worth thinking about closely, and I invite you all to listen to Dr Foster's analysis as an attempt to rebalance the conversation. (0:00) Introduction (2:02) Background to Gigi’s research paper (3:55) What the research says about child care (9:01) Childcare to support labour force participation (12:29) Liberating labour: effects of staying home on work outcomes (15:46) Quality of research, and other frameworks of assessing childcare (19:48) The major issues in Australian childcare (26:41) Big government mindset, institutional decay and lack of community (29:59) The difficulty in judging childcare quality and Gigi’s proposal (33:03) Community-based hiring of childcare staff (35:33) Gossiping parents, the power of community and taking the initiative (38:41) Rethinking the focus on work (41:08) Demand or supply side models of childcare funding (43:03) Issues with higher education and an alternative in a castle in Belgium (52:32) Opportunities in Australia for parallel or alternative higher education (58:45) Gigi’s new think tank, Australians for Science and Freedom (1:03:45) Wrapping up and flagging the follow up episode on childcare

The podcast is back. I talk about the future and my interests with the podcast. Find me on X: x.com/mattsinglebrush Substack newsletter: humanecologyaus.substack.com

ESG is trendy and often well meaning but is it a threat to Australian business and the economy? What is the real reason for the rise of ESG? Professor Peter Swan of the University of New South Wales joins me and draws on decades of academic research experience into Australian corporate governance and recently on ESG to paint a clearer picture on what is driving it, who really governs Australian corporations (it’s not who you think), what’s gone wrong with corporate governance in Australia and what we do better on than most other countries. We reconsider the Friedman Doctrine and whether it applies today, and how changes in share ownership - such as the rise of index and superannuation funds - may influence Australian corporations. Stay tuned for two segments at the end on Peter’s early research on consumer durables and monopoly and on his recently published book on his father - Trevor Swan, one of Australia’s greatest economists. (00:00) Introduction (1:43) Peter’s concern with Australian corporate governance (07:41) An example (10:39) Running a company in a state of ignorance (16:55) Corporations are voting with their feet (18:22) The ultimate cause of the shift in corporate governance (22:06) The link between corporate governance SBS ESG (25:29) What is the purpose of a corporation? (29:46) Two paths for ESG (33:09) Financial gravity as the real source of corporate governance (44:30) What Australia does better than other countries with respect to corporations (48:55) Peter’s work on durable goods and monopolies (57:09) Peter on his father, Trevor Swan

Professor Alexandre Lefebvre, author of Liberalism as a Way of Life, joins me to discuss liberalism (a companion to episode 004 with Tom Sarrouf). Alex offers his take on Deneen (whether liberalism failed), Fukuyama (whether liberalism is the end of History), how to be a better liberal and practise liberalism, as well as the Aussie phrase that is the best short definition of liberalism out there. He also outlines his interesting new project and invites the listener and reader to consider further ways to practise liberalism. Much to chew on here! (00:00) Introduction (00:50) Defining liberalism (02:49) Comprehensive liberalism vs political liberalism (05:01) Is liberalism failing? (10:13) Illiberalism and conceptions of the good (19:06) A middle ground for the State? (24:19) The aim of Alex’s book (26:24) Liberaldom and Christendom (32:41) Is liberalism fatally flawed, or does it require better practice? (37:15) Spiritual exercises for liberals (38:46) Similarities between liberalism and Christianity (44:41) Spiritual exercises II: the original position and the veil of ignorance (52:51) How can this be institutionalised? (55:50) Feasibility of liberalism without deference to authority (59:06) Common themes in Alex’s body of work (1:01:19) Wrapping up

My guest is Tom Sarrouf from the Intercollegiate Studies Institute in the US, an educational institution devoted to educating future leaders for liberty. Tom’s a proponent of postliberalism, and with liberalism seemingly failing, there's been fruitful contributions from some Christian postliberals. Whether they can create a coherent program and shift the culture is another question. As you’ll see in this episode, I’m still working through these issues and wouldn't classify myself as a postliberal, but Tom does a great job of laying things out. We discuss the educating of a new elite that can set America back on course, whether America is a democracy, the deep state, the true dividing line in the US, liberalism vs postliberalism, being educated vs being informed, new coalitions, and Croatia as a demonstration of some postliberal values. It was a pleasure talking with Tom. Stay tuned for a counter perspective in the near future. (00:00) Introduction (00:13) ISI’s purpose (06:44) The broader counter-establishment educational ecosystem (11:59) Educating an alternate elite (16:45) The feeling on the street (21:08) An institutional success story? The Federalist Society (24:06) Being educated vs being informed (32:59) Is the US a democracy? (39:06) Is the real divide establishment vs anti-establishment? (44:46) Liberalism (49:14) Postliberalism (53:42) Digging deeper on postliberalism (59:00) A more optimistic view of people than classical liberalism? (1:04:38) A few pushbacks (1:10:25) Prudential judgement vs ideology in economics (1:20:31) Croatia, liberalism as separation, and urban planning (1:27:49) Building new, authentic coalitions (1:32:07) Wrapping up

My good, wise friend Martin Fitzgerald – Head of Philosophy at Redfield College in Sydney – joins me to provide the philosophical side of human ecology. He provides a definition of freedom that differs from those held today. He speaks on the rise of etiquette coaches, the role of convention in reducing anxiety, a fresh perspective on cancel culture and hatred, episodes of cultural change, the value of the HSC, and more. He responds to Ross Gittins’ (episode 2) perspective on ethics and religion and to Trisha Jha’s perspective on education (episode 1). (00:00) Introducing Marty (00:38) Education, convention and social change (10:09) Virtue (14:05) Making virtue second nature (18:25) Values clarification (24:05) What is freedom really? (43:13) The interplay between freedom and morality (46:16) Speculating on causation (49:14) Hate and judgement (51:38) Balance in feminine and masculine virtues (54:43) Instinct & socialism, civilisation & natural law (1:01:35) The re-emergence of natural law after WWII (1:03:05) Establishing normalcy vs rejecting drudgery (1:04:17) The Bloomsbury Group and cultural change (1:08:32) Can you separate ethics from religion? Marty responds to Ross Gittins (1:13:50) Does government interfere too much in education?

It was a privilege to speak with the legendary economics commentator and journalist over media ethics, the efficiency of more government regulation and intervention, the morality of giving amid big tax and welfare, and government's potential to crowd out relationships. We also discussed a few frameworks for interpreting the government's response to Covid. (00:00) Introducing Ross (00:59) Ross's take on human ecology (03:38) The role of Christianity in society (06:26) Journalistic ethics, Ross's role, and the media environment (12:37) The role and scope of government (21:32) The need for stronger government in the construction industry (25:14) Frameworks for interpreting the Covid-19 pandemic (37:59) The deserving and undeserving poor (40:27) The government, charity and friendly societies (46:59) The crowding out of society by big government

Trisha Jha has an interesting view on education – what works, what’s possible, how to improve it. She’s seen the effects of distant decisions on students and teachers and has a clear view on how to improve education in Australia, offering a positive vision for education as social justice and a positive, productive role for government. She has an interesting story and we discuss our experiences in Australian classrooms. Enjoy this first episode of the Human Ecology podcast. Trisha Jha is a Research Fellow in the Education Program at the Centre for Independent Studies. She taught as a teacher in a rural school in the Teach for Australia program. You can find her on X at @themetresgained and at the CIS website . (00:00) Introducing Human Ecology (01:07) Introducing Trisha (02:03) Trisha's career journey (09:33) Trisha's intellectual change at university (12:53) CIS's change model and Education Program shift (19:58) Trisha's experience in the classroom (28:52) The gap in initial teacher education (32:38) My reflection on teaching (36:29) Trisha's approach to unprepared students (41:40) A positive, conservative role for government in education (47:03) Trisha's future (50:41) Culture, values and expectations (56:16) Trisha explains her X/Twitter handle (57:52) Contacting Trisha