Frank Field argues that nineteenth century Christianity bequeathed us a “rich deposit of ethical values”, which he summarises as an ‘ethic of respect’. In this paper he warns that this ethic is rapidly being eroded with calamitous consequences.
Field notes many contributing factors including: the decline of traditional, male, blue-collar work; a crass, individualistic mass culture celebrating boorishness; widespread welfare dependency; the breakdown of marriage; and the spread of single parent, female-headed households.
Recognising that we cannot reinvent popular Christianity, Field looks for secular equivalents that might restore values of personal responsibility and civic engagement. He argues the need to move to a more contract based society with changes to school curricula, new civic ceremonies, and a shift to conditional welfare. He also thinks it is crucial for people in positions of authority to enforce formal rules of behaviour clearly and consistently, with the confidence they utilised a century ago. Our civic leaders must rediscover this confidence if we want to restore the ethic of respect.
Field’s essay focuses mainly on England. In a Foreword, Peter Saunders considers how far the crisis of respect applies to contemporary Australia.
