Knowing What We Are Worth
This is an edited version of the book-launch speech by the philosopher James Franklin in Sydney in November.
The essential message of this book is that humans are ethically important in an absolute sense. The universe would be much worse off if it lacked them. It would be worse off if it lacked individual ones, such as yourself. The explosion of a lifeless galaxy is just a firework, the death of a human is a tragedy. Because humans are completely different things from stones.
That’s it, really. Depending on where you’re coming from, you’re likely to think, either, I know that, it’s a platitude, what is he going on about? Especially if you’re a literary person you might think that, as classic literature is often about the importance of persons and what happens to them. Or, you’ll think, I’ve studied a bit of philosophy and science, that’s incompatible with everything I know, it doesn’t fit in with a scientific world picture and it can’t possibly be right…
Madam: Archbishop Fisher (July-August 2024) does not resist the attacks on his church by the political, social or scientific atheists and those who insist on not being told what to do.
Aug 29 2024
6 mins
To claim Aborigines have the world's oldest continuous culture is to misunderstand the meaning of culture, which continuously changes over time and location. For a culture not to change over time would be a reproach and certainly not a cause for celebration, for it would indicate that there had been no capacity to adapt. Clearly this has not been the case
Aug 20 2024
23 mins
A friend and longtime supporter of Quadrant, Clive James sent us a poem in 2010, which we published in our December issue. Like the Taronga Park Aquarium he recalls in its 'mocked-up sandstone cave' it's not to be forgotten
Aug 16 2024
2 mins