Premium Essay

White Australian Philosophy

Submitted By
Words 1766
Pages 8
Ind
I
genous s o vere I gnty and the Be
I
ng of the o ccup
I
er
Toula Nicolacopoulos
George Vassilacopoulos
Manifesto for a White
Australian Philosophy of Origins
INDIGENOUS SOVEREIGNTY AND
THE BEING OF THE OCCUPIER
The Call for a Manifesto
13
philosophically. This is possible only in so far as Indigenous sovereign being already embraces the white Australian with a power that one cannot hope to resist without at the same time shattering one’s ontological foundations. In the pres
-
ent context to allow oneself to be embraced by that which, as a matter of fact, already embraces one is to liberate one
-
self from the concealment of one’s being as the bearer of the world of the occupier. This then is the challenge that
Indigenous …show more content…
Here ‘philosophy’ refers to those concepts that spring from the conditions determining one’s history and instituted being and which in turn give conceptual shape to those conditions and thereby render them an object of en
-
gagement for political consciousness. So, for example, the nationhood of a nation always relates to philosophical en
-
counters with history, that is, encounters involving the fun
-
damentals of a people’s being as an historical agent inter
-
ested in its ontological and ethical integrity, in its freedom and responsibility. It is in this sense that philosophy offers an account of origins, a genealogy of where one comes from.
Moreover, it performs the role, to some degree, of educator of the nation in so far as it engages in the practice of (re)situ
-
ating the self-understandings of the collective present with
-
in the context of collective origins.
The absence of a self-consciously white Australian phi
-
losophy is implied by the fact that we have yet to formulate an answer to the question ‘where do you come from?’ that the uncompromising presence of Indigenous sovereign be
-
ing poses to us. It is this question that commands white
Australians to respond by situating ourselves …show more content…
But anyone who would take seriously the claim that white Australia is in urgent need of a new way of reflect
-
ing upon its own origins must initially confront an appar
-
ent rebuttal. One might object that, at least in more recent decades, historians have been addressing precisely this question of Australia’s national origins. Is it not the case that the great volumes academic historians have produced now supply the answers that serve to inform the collective conscience of the white nation? Just as historical research practices had previously been crucial for perpetuating a kind of collective amnesia, the latter half of the twenti
-
eth century saw a reflective turn in the way we perceive ourselves, and this has given rise to historical research that is the driving force behind clearly cathartic aspira
-
tions.
10
According to the ‘evidence’ that white

Similar Documents

Premium Essay

Presentation

...Assignment CREATE MASS PRINT MEDIA ADVERTISEMENT Background – Juverna is a new beauty salon open in the CBD. Juverna beauty is committed to providing skincare and beauty treatments to enhance your natural beauty. Our special beauty packages provide great value and our gift vouchers are a fantastic gift for that special person. Objective – Primary (Good profit), Secondary (Branding) Target – Business community in CBD and general beauty salon Reason to Act and Believe – Quality Product ,Good services, Affordable Price Point of difference – We provide special skin & cosmetic procedures. Budget - $25.000 NEWSPAPER · Confirm the central idea or creative concept, technique/s for expressing the idea/concept and mass print media to be used: Every time when the people look at the advertising picture, they will be attracted by our services and products. The newspaper, magazine and outdoor advertising are the best methods to capture the people’s mind, make they think about our services and products what are so special when they look at our advertising services. · Identify check the advertising content and supporting information for accuracy and completeness: I have checked the content, support enough information required. The content satisfy the purpose of advertising, the audiences can get information easily when look at our advertising. Everything has been checked and absolutely corrects and matches with the legislation. · Confirm the time schedule and...

Words: 1770 - Pages: 8

Premium Essay

Hegemonic Depictions of Aboriginal People

...This paper will talk about the makings of cross-cultural shared film in describing and or challenging hegemonic depictions of Aboriginal people; the main emphasis being above all regarding Australian Aboriginal individuals. Exercising the current film ‘Ten Canoes’ directed by Rolf De Heer (2006), produced in working together amongst the Australian- Yolngu individuals and the non-Indigenous Rolf De Heer, this paper will argue whether cross-collaborative film developments can effectively and practically give power to the Aboriginal individuals as a mode of confrontation to cultural domination and management and as well as a contemporary structure of cultural reminiscence and regeneration, as Eric Michaels (1987) calls it a ‘cultural future’ (no.page), and also how essential dialogue is in development of an ‘ethical, postcolonial’ film in Australian film and television. In Australian film, the depictions of Aboriginal individuals have traditionally been together notified by racist ideologies and helpful to the growth of these philosophies in the normal Australian culture (Turner, 1988; 135). In Australia, films ‘about’ Aboriginal individuals persist to strengthen the hegemonic formations of cultural authority and prevention of having power of Aboriginal individuals from the Australian norm (Langton, 1983; 33). Marcia Langton (1983; 33) a top Aboriginal scholar claims that, in Australia, variety of media communication have taken place and remain to be one of the most influential...

Words: 1835 - Pages: 8

Free Essay

Interesting Stuff

...the publication of two papers in Science: Lynn White`s “The Historical Roots of our Ecological Crisis” (March 1967) and Garett Hardin`s "The Tragedy of the Commons" (December 1968). Most influential with regard to this kind of thinking, however, was an essay in Aldo Leopold`s A Sand County Almanac, "The Land Ethic," in which Leopold explicitly claimed that the roots of the ecological crisis were philosophical. Although originally published in 1949, Sand County Almanac became widely available in 1970 in a special Sierra Club/Ballantine edition, which included essays from a second book, Round River. Most academic activity in the 1970s was spent debating the Lynn White thesis and the tragedy of the commons. These debates were primarily historical, theological, and religious, not philosophical. Throughout most of the decade philosophers sat on the sidelines trying to determine what a field called environmental ethics might look like. The first philosophical conference was organized by William Blackstone at the University of Georgia in 1972. The proceedings were published as Philosophy and Environmental Crisis in 1974, which included Pete Gunter`s first paper on the Big Thicket. In 1972 a book called “Is It Too Late?” A Theology of Ecology, written by John B. Cobb, was published. It was the first single-authored book written by a philosopher, even though the primary focus of the book was theological and religious. In 1973 an Australian philosopher, Richard Routley (now Sylvan), presented...

Words: 559 - Pages: 3

Premium Essay

Religious Diversity

...greatly in reshaping Australia’s religious connections with many religions and denominations in terms of ethnic diversity. Many religions existed elsewhere in the world but only appeared in Australia as migration and refugee patterns changed. When Indigenous Australians were counted in Census forms in 1960, a vast majority were Christian whilst some still had a desire to integrate Aboriginal spirituality and customs into Christian expression. Migrants whom entered after World War 1 were simply those who chose to assimilate and not change the British-European culture. This was because the ‘White Australia Policy’ was in place and it was racially prejudice, religiously intolerant and only accepted whites. However, by World War 2 Australia had to ‘Populate or Perish’, thus they were desperate to increase population for national security reasons and economic growth. This ultimately led to a huge population increase, as Australia accepted over 3 million migrants who had arrived from over 60 countries. With Christianity dominating the 19th century, a large majority of the migrants were from South-East Asia, the Middle East and Pacific nations. This however, had not significantly introduced a wide range of religious traditions until the White Australia Policy was abolished. The removal was a sign of recognition and acceptability of...

Words: 1591 - Pages: 7

Free Essay

Indigenous Australian Aboriginals

...anthropologist W.H. Stanner in 1956. (Fryer-Smith, 2002) It defines the conception of mystical spirits of the universe and encompasses everything within. This concept allows for explanations about the ‘Ancestral Beings’ and their travels, creating everything we see today. (Fryer-Smith, 2002) In customary principles, these ‘Ancestral Beings’ hold the power to arbitrate and guide the Aboriginal people’s lives. Indigenous Australians are the oldest inhabitants of the land with the most extensive practise of religion and customs, what we know as the Dreaming. (Edwards, 1998) The role and function of the Dreaming is to teach the Aboriginal people about the norms and mores of the sacred laws. Also known as customary law, these guidelines are an integral part of the Aboriginal culture as it maintains societal normalities. (ALRC, 1986) The Dreaming is a philosophy that binds every aspect of life together, it assists in knowing the past, present and future, and how to make conscious decisions to ensure the world continues triumphantly. According to Korff (2015) white man cannot comprehend the depth of the Dreaming, as it is more an analogy for providing identity and spiritualism to individuals. The diversity within the various communities explains how in-depth the spirituality is and how important this religion is to each Aboriginal person. Each tribe has their own definition and reason behind the Dreaming. The Ngarinyan kin refer to it as ‘Ungud’; the Pitjantatjar know the dreaming...

Words: 2469 - Pages: 10

Premium Essay

Key Reasons For Uniting Australia In The 1920's

...Introduction During the 1850s, the seemingly radical idea of uniting Australia's colonies to form a single nation was conceived. The idea, however, lacked popularity and was consequently abandoned. At that time, the colonies were more concerned with putting the interests of their own people first and the technology to ensure communication between the colonies had not yet been developed. It was not until the 1880s, that people began to give serious consideration to the possible advantages of uniting the colonies under a federal government which could make uniform laws. Defence and foreign policy One of the key reasons for Federation was to achieve a united defence force which could better protect Australia. Around the 1880s, the Australian colonies had become increasingly concerned over the close proximity of foreign powers. A Russian presence in the Pacific, Germany occupying parts of New Guinea and France having colonised New Caledonia, left the colonies in fear that attempts may be made to invade Australia. At this time, each of the colonies had their own separate defence forces (army and navy) which were without any overarching structure to unite them if a part of the country was under threat. Initially, the colonial navies operated one or two warships. It was soon realised, however, that they did not have the size or the strength to...

Words: 1008 - Pages: 5

Premium Essay

3m Case

...Innovation, ideas and solutions for a modern world 1 Introduction – A Century of Innovation 3M is a global diversified materials science company and a powerful, diverse and integrated enterprise. Although 3M identifies its core competency simply as “applying coatings to backings”, the company’s operations extend far beyond this. 3M, famous for its consumer brands such as Scotch® Tape and Post-it ® Notes, also creates thousands of industrial products used by manufacturers and service providers to create their own products. From its beginnings in 1902 as Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing, 3M has grown to achieve sales revenue of $US25.3 billion and an operating income of $US3.5 billion in 2008. The company has over 79,000 employees with approximately 13 percent employed directly as technical staff. As a truly global presence, 3M services almost 200 national markets, and operates subsidiary companies, such as 3M Australia, in more than 60 countries. Almost 64 percent of 3M’s entire sales revenue originates from international operations. With a vision “to be the most innovative enterprise and preferred supplier in the markets we serve”, 3M prides itself on its history of innovation – reinforced through its brand promise, “practical and ingenious solutions that help customers succeed”. Key values underpinning 3M’s continual success include its commitment to: • Satisfy our customers with superior quality and value • Provide investors with an attractive...

Words: 2801 - Pages: 12

Premium Essay

What Is History

...We need to appreciate the complexity of the past and not reduce history to a shallow field of point scoring. I believe that there is much that is worth preserving in the cultural heritage of our dispossessors as a nation, the Australian community has a collective consciousness that encompasses a responsibility for the present and future, and the past. To say that ordinary Australians who are part of the national community today do not have any connection with the shameful aspects of our past is at odds with our exhortations that they have connections to the prideful bits. If there is one thing about the colonial heritage of Australia that indigenous Australians might celebrate along with John Howard it must surely be the fact that upon the shoulders of the English settlers or invaders-call them what you will, came the common law of England and with it the civilised institution of native title. What more redemptive prospect can be painted about our country's colonial past?(65) From this perspective, the black armband view of history is a strand of 'political correctness'-the dominant but erroneous view of how we see ourselves and what we see as worthwhile in our culture. Historical understanding cannot be fixed for all time, Out of the present emerge new problems that require a re-examination of the past. The question we must ask is not “does history have to be rewritten?” but “does the re-evaluation of history lead to the discovery of historical truth?” In other words, does...

Words: 1425 - Pages: 6

Premium Essay

Captivity In War

...“…I was - a white slave. I worked 12 hours a day on a diet of soya beans and seaweed.” (Carver, cited on HistoryOnTheNet, 2014b). Some of the health problems caused from these small dietary allowances included malnutrition, ulcers and cholera. In conjunction with this small food allowance, the prisoners were forced to complete laborious tasks, ranging from working in mines, fields, shipyards, or factories. Because of these difficult working conditions with the small food allowances, prisoners were unhealthy, and many died as a result of their deteriorated health conditions. The group of prisoners who were subject to the most difficult and confronting experience for labour within the Japanese camps, would have to be those who were sent to work on the Burma-Thailand railway. This was because they were expected to work extremely long hours with little to no breaks, furthermore the labour was very intensive as building 260 miles of railway by hand required one to move the ground, build bridges, blast through the mountains and lay pieces of track. of the 61,000 prisoners sent to work on the railway, about a quarter of them died (HistoryOnTheNet,...

Words: 1193 - Pages: 5

Premium Essay

Sidney Nolan Research Paper

...Student name : Chow Meng Hong Student ID : GEC 0000 OD1 Unit Code : VU21473 Task 1 1. The artist I choose to write about will be Sidney Nolan 2. Sidney Nolan had been making Modern art. Modern Art includes artistic work produced during the period extending roughly from the 1869s to the 1970s and denotes the style and philosophy of the art produced during the era 3. Modern artists experimented with new ways of seeing and with fresh ideas about the nature of materials and functions of art 4. 1975 to 1992 5. Sidney Nolan was born in Carlton, at that time an inner working-class suburb of Melbourne, on 22 April 1917. He later moved with his family to the bayside surburb of St Kilda. He attended the Prahran Technical College, department of Design...

Words: 1298 - Pages: 6

Free Essay

Traditional Japanese Culture and Its Influence in Australia

...Japanese Culture and its Influence in Australia. Abstract: This paper looks at traditional Japanese culture in its entirety, and how exactly certain traditional aspects have influenced societies within Australia. The purpose of this research was to not only discover how exactly Japanese culture is recognised within Australian society today; but also to identify how Australians have gravitated towards the culture in general, allowing for major aspects to become part of their everyday life. The start of this research began to look at past views of Japan in Australia (which covered the White Australia Policy, and attitudes during and after World War II), and contrasted this with Australians present day perspectives of Japan. The research then continued to look at traditional cultural aspects of Japan such as; Japanese dining and mannerisms, sport, religion and spirituality, and visual arts, and then continued to discuss exactly how these aspects have impacted and influenced Australia and its members of society. The findings of this research reached a conclusion that although Japan was once perceived extremely negative by Australians, its influence within the Australian wider community is not only undeniable, but immensely beneficial and constructive to society. Introduction The culture of Japan is a multi-layered and intricate system that has been developed and sustained for over thousands of years. The Japanese culture combines both ancient and contemporary aspects, allowing...

Words: 4940 - Pages: 20

Premium Essay

Artist Julie Rrap Remakes The World

...Each artist has own art practices that are reflected upon their sleeping styles in the Remaking the World. Although artists are sleeping in the same white environments, they all sleep differently. According to The Sydney Morning Herald, Rrap selected a different type of artists, many of whom she is acquainted with at different stages in their real lives and art careers. Rrap invited artists to her studio, asked them to sleep on the concept of remaking the world, and then filmed them (Stephens). In this art experiment, Julie Rrap is also one of the experiential bodies. Julie wraps her entire body by the thin white blanket and sleeps in the fetal position ("Artist Julie Rrap Remakes the World"). Fetal position is when people lie on their side with arms and knees pulled...

Words: 629 - Pages: 3

Premium Essay

Australian Fashion Trends

...Fashion Designing   Table of Contents The Good Old Days 3 Introduction 3 Culture and society of young Australian women of 1964 3 Fashion of the Australian women during 1964 5 Society, Culture and Fashion Trends in 2014 6 Conclusion 8 References 8   The Good Old Days Introduction It is known fact that the study of fashion design is influenced by the cultural and social activities that are different in different areas and over different time span. Designers try to design clothing that will not only be functional but also pleasing aesthetically. The wearing a garment depends on the person who is to wear it and also the occasion it will be worn in. A large range of patterns, styles and colors are required to come up with...

Words: 2105 - Pages: 9

Free Essay

Aboriginal Review

...Copyright © eContent Management Pty Ltd. Contemporary Nurse (2007) 24: 33–44. Telling stories: Nurses, politics and Aboriginal Australians, circa 1900–1980s ABSTRACT The focus of this paper is stories by, and about (mainly non-Aboriginal) Registered Nurses working in hospitals and clinics in remote areas of Australia from the early 1900s to the 1980s as they came into contact with, or cared for, Aboriginal people. Government policies that controlled and regulated Aboriginal Australians provide the context for these stories. Memoirs and other contemporary sources reveal the ways in which government policies in different eras influenced nurse’s attitudes and clinical practice in relation to Aboriginal people, and helped institutionalise racism in health care. Up until the 1970s, most nurses in this study unquestioningly accepted firstly segregation, then assimilation policies and their underlying paternalistic ideologies, and incorporated them into their practice. The quite marked politicisation of Aboriginal issues in the 1970s in Australia and the move towards selfdetermination for Aboriginal people politicised many – but not all – nurses. For the first time, many nurses engaged in a robust critique of government policies and what this meant for their practice and for Aboriginal health. Other nurses, however, continued as they had before – neither questioning prevailing policy nor its effects on their practice. It is argued that only by understanding and confronting the...

Words: 7343 - Pages: 30

Premium Essay

Marxism and Illness

...Introduction The concept of illness throughout our society can be closely associated with Marxism. According to a Marxist perspective, the social inequality that exists in society runs parallel with the various inequalities in the health system. With reference to the latter, exploitation of lower level assembly line workers or the proletariat working class can have a significant impact on workers’ health, particularly for the achievement of profit. Furthermore, in our contemporary society, medical professions have subjugated individuals illness’s within a capitalist society, disregarding health interests for the product of business. Additionally, Marxists analyses argue vigorously that class is a significant determinant of inequality with regard to illness and that the illness is implicated in a wider process of social oppression; determine by environmental factors, education and economic institutions into which one is born. All in all, from analysis of these topics there is no doubt that illness is very much a social phenomenon. Marxism and Workplace Illnesses The Marxist approach to health and illness relies heavily on the relationship they have with capitalism and class. Marx believed there were two essential classes in society; the capitalist class, who make up the minority of society, and the proletariat, also known as the working class who make up the majority. Vincent Navarro provides one of the most influential accounts of the centrality of social class and...

Words: 2323 - Pages: 10