The Annual John Bonython Lecture

Home

About CIS

Research

The annual John Bonython Lecture Series began in 1984 to honour the founding Chairman of its then Board of Trustees. The lectures present and encourage debate on social, economic and political forces and how they shape the individual.The lectures have grown to become the most anticipated events initiated by the Centre, delivered by leading thinkers from around the world and attended by prominent leaders paving the way for the future of Australasia.

These Lectures have also become part of our Occasional Paper Series of books (please email cis@cis.org.au if you would like a list of John Bonython Lecture books available).

The 25th John Bonython Lecture 2009 Invisible Hand Versus Invisible Fist: Securing the Future Wealth of Nations Tuesday, 21 April 2009 The Big Top, Luna Park, Milsons Point, Sydney Join the Board and staff of The Centre for Independent Studies for an evening of irreverent erudition and witty commentary as wise-cracking political journalist PJ O’Rourke examines the global credit crisis and the future of capitalism through a prism of realistic positivity. [Click here] for more information

The 24rd Annual John Bonython Lecture 2007 Anglo Primacy at the End of History: The Deep Roots of Power [Click here] to download a transcript of this lecture in PDF format. This lecture will be published as a CIS Occasional Paper in 2008.

	Whether the United States should lead the world is much debated. But American primacy in some form is unavoidable. It has roots deep in history, as did the British primacy that preceded it. All the Anglo nations became rich and powerful because of qualities that Britain developed deep in the Middle Ages: good government, a market economy and an individualist society. They accept a responsibility for the world order that other rich nations avoid, while non-Western countries show nothing like the same development. At the end of history, liberal democracy has prevailed and deeper historical differences dominate world affairs. Sunny visions of globalisation cannot obscure them. Only the Anglo nations possess all the ingredients of power: economic, military and moral. They are fated to lead the world—and to bear heavy burdens for the less fortunate. Professor Lawrence Mead specialises in public policy and American Government at New York University. He is a renowned scholar on welfare reform. His academic career includes visiting professorships at Harvard, Princeton and the University of Wisconsin, and as a visiting fellow at the Hoover Institution of Stanford. He has consulted with US governments on social policy and is a prolific author whose most recent book Government Matters won the 2005 Louis Brownlow Book Award.

Other Events

Events Homepage

CIS Lectures and Forums

The John Bonython Lectures

The Acton Lecture

Big Ideas Forums

Policymakers

Past Events

The CIS Lecture Series

Foreign Policy Forum

The Bert Kelly Lectures

Copyright The Centre for Independent Studies
Please contact The Centre for Independent Studies Limited (cis@cis.org.au) for permission to reprint material.