The Citizen Reader Australian Edition

Description

What does it mean to be a good citizen—and how do free people order their common life? H. O. Arnold-Forster answers with clarity, warmth, and a steady moral compass. Beginning with the nature of citizenship and true patriotism, he explains how laws are made, why they bind, and how local and national institutions serve the common good. Australian readers will find chapters that speak directly to their own setting, from Parliament and governors to courts, juries, taxation, and national defence, all presented in plain language and enlivened by story. This engaging edition keeps principles first and party strife last, showing how courtesy, honesty, and courage are public virtues long before they are public policies. Readers gain a working understanding of civic life and, more importantly, habits that build it: attention to facts, fairness in judgment, willingness to serve, and the cheerful resolve to do right even when it costs.

Content Advisory

While The Citizen Reader Australian Edition contains some useful information on how to be a good citizen, it is better viewed as a historical document. Please be advised that the text contains language, social theories, and racial attitudes of its era that are now considered harmful and offensive. Examples include:

• Offensive Terminology: The use of dehumanizing language to describe Indigenous and non-European peoples, including terms like “savages” and “uncivilized.”

• Imperialist Narrative: A framing of British imperialism as a benevolent “civilizing” mission that ignores the sovereignty and lived experiences of colonized peoples.

• Exclusionary Attitudes: Sentiments regarding the restriction of immigration and rights based on race, reflecting the era’s exclusionary social and political policies.

These views do not reflect modern values or where we would like our society to be, and are preserved to help readers understand the ideologies that shaped early 20th-century Australian society—the effects of which we still need to wrestle with today.

A new Civics reader is on the way, so if you can wait I’d suggest doing so.

Additional information

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