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• Culture, Prosperity & Civil Society

This program defends and promotes the traditional values and principles of a free and liberal democratic society and open economy in Australia.

In a related area of research we investigate the place of religion in society.

Marian Tupy: More People, More Ideas, More Abundance – Perth
Marian Tupy, Peter KurtiJanuary 21, 2026
Join Marian Tupy & Peter Kurti for data-driven optimism. Why human ingenuity and free markets...
Hansard transcript: Review of the Exposure Draft Legislation on Combatting Antisemitism, Hate and Extremism Bill 2026
Peter KurtiJanuary 20, 2026
Transcript of Peter Kurt's appearance before the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security's Review...
“People are just sick of it” | Alexander Downer
Robert Forsyth, Alexander DownerJanuary 19, 2026

In this episode of Liberalism in Question, former Australian Foreign Minister Alexander Downer joins us...

Marian Tupy: Are Things Actually Getting Better For Humanity? – Melbourne
Marian Tupy, Peter Kurti, Ms Georgina DownerJanuary 15, 2026
Join Marian Tupy & Georgina Downer for data-driven optimism. Why human ingenuity and free markets...
Fear after Bondi is putting free speech on trial
Peter KurtiJanuary 14, 2026AUSTRALIAN FINANCIAL REVIEW
Instead of rushing to add new laws to an already swollen statute book, we should...
CIS Statement to Federal Parliament on Combatting Antisemitism, Hate and Extremism Bill (Exposure Draft)
Peter KurtiJanuary 14, 2026

Statement to the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security Combatting Antisemitism, Hate and Extremism...

Lessons from the Freiburg School: The Institutional Foundations of Freedom and Prosperity
Wolfgang KasperJuly 1, 1993OP44

West Germany’s post-war economic success was based on the ideas of the ‘Freiburg School,’ a...

Multicultural Citizens: The Philosophy and Politics of Identity
Chandran KukathasApril 1, 1993R9

This volume of essays has its origin in a conference on multiculturalism sponsored by the...

Restoring the true republic
Geoffrey de Quincey Walker, Suri Ratnapala, Wolfgang KasperFebruary 26, 1993PF10
Marriage, Divorce and Family Justice
Barry MaleyJanuary 1, 1993PM25

Family Law in Australia fails to acknowledge and support the institutional character of marriage as...

Welfare State and the Problem of the Common
David ThomsonDecember 20, 1992OP43

Modern welfare states involve large –scale pooling of risks and resources by peoples of different...

How Much Justice does a Society Need?
Kenneth MinogueNovember 15, 1992OP40

Hard-headed people often say that perfect justice is impossible, merely a dream. the philosopher Kant...

Religious tests a red line we shouldn’t cross
Peter KurtiJanuary 29, 2026DAILY TELEGRAPH
Morrison deserves credit for insisting accusations of Islamophobia must not shut down necessary debate. But...
It’s judgment day: time for unis to kick politics off campus
Steven SchwartzJanuary 29, 2026THE AUSTRALIAN
The problem is not academic freedom itself. The problem is that universities have forgotten what...
Fear after Bondi is putting free speech on trial
Peter KurtiJanuary 14, 2026AUSTRALIAN FINANCIAL REVIEW
Instead of rushing to add new laws to an already swollen statute book, we should...
The royal commission into the Bondi attack should probe the uncomfortable question
Peter Kurti, Michael StutchburyJanuary 10, 2026CANBERRA TIMES
What should Australia have done over the past two years to prevent this moment —...
It is time for good people to act 
Julie ClaridgeDecember 24, 2025ONLINE OPINION
What we saw that Sunday at Bondi not only highlighted the immediate and palpable threats...
Australia’s complacency and the Bondi beach shooting
Peter KurtiDecember 15, 2025WALL STREET JOURNAL
Whether Australia responds to the murders at Bondi with clarity or caution will reveal not...
Liberalism and Education with Andrew Norton | Liberalism in Question
Robert Forsyth, Andrew NortonMarch 5, 2025

In this episode of Liberalism in Question, we welcome Andrew Norton, who has worked in...

Is the Progressive Era Coming to an End? | Simon Heffer
Simon Heffer, Tom SwitzerFebruary 27, 2025

Around the world, political landscapes are changing. From the United States to Europe and beyond,...

Do human rights exist? | Helen Dale
Emilie Dye, Helen DaleFebruary 19, 2025

In this episode of Liberalism in Question, guest host Emilie Dye welcomes Helen Dale, senior...

Navigating the Ethics of Colonial History with Nigel Biggar
Peter Kurti, Robert Forsyth, Randall EvansFebruary 4, 2025

This philosophical exploration delves into the ethical complexities of warfare, euthanasia, and colonialism. It examines...

Trump, TikTok, and the new face of global power | Senator James Paterson & Emilie Dye
Emilie Dye, James Paterson, Randall EvansJanuary 21, 2025

Emilie Dye sits down with Senator James Paterson, Shadow Minister for Home Affairs and Cybersecurity,...

Australia has declared war on social media | Emilie Dye & Tom Switzer
Emilie Dye, Tom Switzer, Randall EvansNovember 28, 2024

The Australian government has abandoned its “misinformation” law, a major victory for free speech. This...

Submission to the Independent National Security Legislation Monitor (INSLM)
Peter KurtiSeptember 25, 2025

Submission to the Independent National Security Legislation Monitor (INSLM) Review of the definition of a...

Submission to the Senate Inquiry on Information Integrity
Michael StutchburySeptember 12, 2025

On behalf of the Centre for Independent Studies (CIS), we are pleased to provide the...

Submission to the Senate Economics References Committee Inquiry into Personal Choice and Community Impacts 2015
August 11, 2015

The CIS submission into the Senate Economics References Committee Inquiry proposed two tightly targeted areas...

Submission to the Senate Legal and Constitutional Affairs Committee on the value of a justice reinvestment approach to criminal justice in Australia
Sara HudsonNovember 17, 2013

To address the underlying causes of Indigenous offending, we need to focus on education and...

Submission to Native Title Leading Practice Agreements Discussion Paper 2010
Helen Hughes, Mark Hughes, Sara HudsonNovember 30, 2010

The Native Title process is only one of the processes returning land to traditional owners....

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