Beauty, Law and the Lies of Post-Modernism | Mark Fowler & Ian Callinan
April 24, 2026
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1:05:58Now PlayingBeauty, Law and the Lies of Post-Modernism | Mark Fowler & Ian Callinan
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as posted by the channelWhat makes Australia’s Constitution so effective, and why do so few people understand it? In this interview, Ian Callinan and Mark Fowler unpack the origins of our legal system, the role of philosophy in shaping law, and the importance of keeping power accountable.
They also tackle modern challenges: the push for a Human Rights Act, the rise of postmodern thinking, and the growing tension between individual “truths” and objective justice. The result is a powerful discussion on the future of law, freedom, and society.
The Honourable Ian Callinan AC QC served as a Justice of the High Court of Australia, the nation's highest court, from 1998 to 2007. Since leaving the bench, he has brought that same judicial authority to bear as one of Australia's most sought-after arbitrators and mediators, resolving complex commercial, energy, mining, construction, revenue, regulatory, and IT disputes at the highest levels, both across Australia and on the international stage.
Mark Fowler is an Adjunct Associate Professor at his alma mater, the University of New England School of Law, and an Adjunct Associate Professor at the University of Notre Dame School of Law, Sydney. He is an Appeals Panel member for the Australian Council for International Development, the peak body for Australian non-government organisations (NGOs) involved in international development and humanitarian action. He is the author of Beauty and The Law.
Purchase Mark Fowler's Book: 'Beauty and The Law'
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Chapter 1: The Foundations of Australian Law (3:03)
Chapter 2: The Constitution — Why It Matters (9:17)
Chapter 3: Federation, Power, and the Danger of Centralisation (13:02)
Chapter 4: The Bill of Rights Debate (15:29)
Chapter 5: Roe v Wade and Who Should Make the Law (17:29)
Chapter 6: Vilification Laws and the Lowering of the Bar (36:13)
Chapter 7: Internationalism and the Erosion of Sovereignty (38:25)
Chapter 8: Identity Politics and a Fractured Australia (39:48)
Chapter 9: Australia's Founding Myth — A Nation of Convicts (42:06)
Chapter 10: Religious Freedom — The Canary in the Coal Mine (45:30)
Chapter 11: Beauty, Truth, and the Law (52:44)
Chapter 12: Postmodernism, Despair, and the Role of the Poet (57:06)
Chapter 13: Advice to Young Lawyers (1:04:24)
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