Human Ecology

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:...

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 yea...

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...

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 w...

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, Rebu...

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 gl...

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 cha...

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...

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 co...

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....

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...

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 valu...

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) R...

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...