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To deny or not to deny: A comparison of genocide denial legislation in France and Australia
Get PDFWhen discussing how to best combat genocide denial, denial legislation is all too often presented as the premier solution. However, as this article will showcase, a legal approach in the face of genocide denial is utterly inadequate. Real-world applications of denial legislation are plagued by issues like politicisation and potentially empowering denialists to the point that these policies are ineffectual or even counterproductive. I therefore posit that in light of denial legislation’s ineffectiveness, as demonstrated by France’s Gayssot law, that these policies should not be enacted in the case of Australia because they would prove ineffectual. The article that followsis structured in five parts. The first two segments address the relevant definitions and literature. The third part evaluates the arguments for and against denial laws by using France’s Gayssot law as an existing example in order to gauge denial legislation’s effectiveness. The fourth section applies the earlier analyses to the case for denial laws in Australia, especially considering the Racial Discrimination Act 1975 (Cth). Finally, the article presents a discussion of alternative approaches to combatting genocide denial, specifically truth commissions and confrontation. I conclude that in light of denial legislation in France and its overall ineffectiveness, Australia should not implement genocide denial laws as they would ultimately prove ineffectual
Variations in Thermal Tolerance and Leaf Morphology in Alpine Ranunculus Species in Kosciuszko National Park
Get PDFAs global temperatures increase under climate change, understanding the thermal tolerance of plant species and how this relates to other functional traits is becoming increasingly important. I investigated thermal tolerance and leaf morphology in six interfertile alpine Ranunculus species that occur in water-inundated and terrestrial habitats in Kosciuszko National Park, Australia. I sought to identify whether thermal tolerance and leaf morphology differed between species and between habitats, and whether leaf morphological traits were correlated with measures of thermal tolerance. The critical minimum and maximum temperatures at which photosystem II in leaves becomes irreversibly damaged; Tcrit (cold) and Tcrit (hot), respectively, were measured using chlorophyll fluorimetry techniques to represent plant thermal tolerance, and thermal tolerance breadth (TTB) calculated. Functional traits affecting plant responses to temperature change and inundation, including leaf dissection, effective leaf width, leaf area, leaf mass per unit area (LMA) and leaf thickness, were also assessed. Species differed in thermal tolerance and all leaf morphology characteristics measured. Plants from inundated habitats had lower heat tolerance and TTB than plants from drier, not inundated habitats, and exhibited more dissected leaves with lower leaf width, area, LMA and leaf thickness. Thermal tolerance characteristics were weakly related to most morphological traits, however strong positive correlations between TTB and both LMA and leaf thickness emerged in my data. These results provide insight into the ability of alpine Ranunculus species to cope with future climate extremes and how leaf morphology may contribute to thermal tolerance. Avenues for future research into predictors of thermal tolerance and drivers of leaf morphology in inundated and terrestrial alpine habitats are also identified
The European Court of Justice as a tool of European integration
Get PDF‘European integration’ is the unification of European states into a continent with shared systems, institutions, and values. This article argues that there are four main ways in which the European Court of Justice (‘ECJ’ or ‘the Court’) facilitates integration. First, the ECJ has created a series of case law that unites the treaties of the European Union (‘EU’) into a single, ‘constitutionalised’ body of law that resembles a national constitution. Second, the human rights agenda of the ECJ aligns states to a single, set ideology the Court espouses. Third, the Court has enhanced EU power by giving the European Parliament power to be involved in ECJ litigation, and by articulating the principle that European law must be considered with respect to integration. Finally, the Court’s preliminary ruling mechanism provides that the EU has supremacy over all legal matters that involve EU principles, effectively curtailing opposition to the expansion of EU law. In these ways, the ECJ is a significant contributor to European integration
Rousseau’s general will as a tool of democracy
Get PDFJean-Jacques Rousseau’s idea of the general will, the governing force in his political system, has led some to label him as an authoritarian. Herein I will analyse his writings in The Social Contract, and argue against this conception of the text, instead showing that this work supports the characterisation of Rousseau as a democrat. I will do this by building on Sreenivasan’s interpretation of the general will, which shows that Rousseau developed a system of deliberation to accord the common interest of the people with their democratic vote. I will argue that this deliberative mechanism, along with Rousseau’s conflation of the general will with the people’s vote supports the idea that Rousseau upheld a substantive form of democracy
Moral grandstanding and unhealthy cynicism: How unhealthy cynicism does not necessarily pervert public moral discourse
Get PDFMoral grandstanding occurs when one tries to promote one’s reputation as morally respectable. A concern in philosophy, promulgated by Tosi and Warmke, is that pervasive moral grandstanding generates unhealthy cynicism that propels people to disengage from public moral discourse (2016, p. 210). Nevertheless, I argue that this worry is misguided, since excess cynicism triggers information consumers to employ self-correcting mechanisms that ultimately negate the purported impacts of moral grandstanding. In this paper, I outline two self-correction methods: passive correction through noise reduction and active correction through information verification. In the prior method, rational agents engage in ‘mental handicapping’ and discount grandstanding expressions. This enables people to sequester noises from quality contributions in moral discourse. For the latter method, agents conduct accountability checks and investigate the veracity of claims. This promotes listener participation in public debates. In all, the corrective consequences of amplified cynicism not only attenuate the apparent injurious effects of grandstanding but enhance the quality of public moral discourse
Introduction to Volume 12
No full textThe ANU Undergraduate Research Journal presents outstanding essays taken from numerous ANU undergraduate essay submissions. The breadth and depth of the articles chosen for publication demonstrates the quality and research potential of the undergraduate talent being nurtured at ANU across a diverse range of fields. 
Effect of elevation and plant communities on the flight behaviour of Lepidoptera in Kosciuszko National Park, Australia
Get PDFLepidoptera play a critical role in ecosystem functioning and are especially vital to the plant-pollinator network in alpine regions. Both their functional traits and broader environmental filters strongly influence their performance in the environment. This study aims to address the lack of research on the functional traits of Australian alpine diurnal Lepidoptera by examining whether their flapping rate differs across elevations and/or plant communities. Field surveys were conducted over four sites in Kosciuszko National Park, comprising heathland and woodland communities at both low and high elevations. Videos of Lepidoptera in flight were recorded and analysed to obtain flapping rates. The results indicate that elevation and plant community interacted to affect flapping rates. Within heathland communities Lepidopterans found at higher elevations exhibited a greater flapping rate than those found at lower elevations. On the other hand, there was no effect of elevation within woodland communities. These results correspond with existing literature, which indicate that elevation alone does not affect flapping rates. We suggest that differences in flapping rates between low and high elevation heathland sites may be driven by variation in food sources within heathland communities at different elevations, with resultant feeding habits imposing constraints on flight behaviour
Distribution of pollinator functional groups across elevations in Kosciusko National Park Australia
Get PDFPlant-pollinator interactions are important indicators of ecosystem health and resilience. Previous studies have examined pollination networks across elevations in Europe and North America, but there has been little investigation of the distribution of pollinator functional groups across elevations in Australia. We aimed to examine the distribution of pollinator functional groups (Coleoptera, Anthophila, Lepidoptera and Diptera) across elevations in Kosciusko National Park (KNP) by collecting insect specimens and corresponding pollen samples from sites at three different elevations. The highest elevation was dominated by Coleoptera and Diptera with generalised foraging behaviours and the lowest elevation was dominated by Anthophila with specialised pollination behaviours. These findings hold significant implications for the future of pollination networks as warming temperatures may drive competitive pollination specialists such as Anthophila upwards, threatening to outcompete the generalised foragers such as Coleoptera and Diptera in higher elevations. An increase in specialised Anthophila foragers in higher elevations could lead to changes in floristic composition as their pollination services differ from other functional groups that perform incidental pollination
‘I am, you are, we are un-Australian’: National identity, political discourse and use of the term ‘un-Australian’ in Federal Parliament
Get PDFThe term ‘un-Australian’ has long been a rhetorical device used in Australian politics and media to identify ‘in-’ and ‘out-groups’ within our society. Australia’s journey to develop a cohesive national identity, or ‘ingroup’, following waves of colonial settlement and migration was utilised by political actors to formulate a sense of ‘Australianness’ that could trump the national, ethnic, or religious ties that its various citizens held. This article therefore seeks to uncover what meanings the term ‘un-Australian’ possesses in our political parlance, if its usage reflects that contention that Australian identity is partially based in an otherisation of non-white nationals and if the term’s connotations are influenced by a speaker’s political affiliation. A random sampling of 50 uses of ‘un-Australian’ in Parliament between 1 May 2000 and 1 May 2020 were coded for this essay. Ultimately, this data reveals that while frequency of the term ‘un-Australian’ does not increase with a speaker’s political conservatism, there is some evidence to suggest that such political actors use the term with more xenophobic or racist connotations. Moreover, an unforeseen correlation between gender and frequency was observed, suggesting that women parliamentarians are less likely to employ the term ‘unAustralian’, possibly due to their own experiences of ‘otherisation’. While no single meaning of ‘unAustralian’ was revealed, it is perhaps the breadth and non-specificity of the term that is most thought-provoking, suggesting that it may simply be a catch-all pejorative used by political actors seeking to present themselves as Australia’s patriotic defenders
Van Gogh and ukiyo-e: The construction of an iconic aesthetic
Get PDFThis essay explores the significant influence of Japanese ukiyo-e woodblock prints on the artistic development of Vincent van Gogh. By considering the context and distinct characteristics of these woodcuts, one can identify the presence of those components in van Gogh’s later works. Additionally, the comparison of van Gogh’s work before and after engaging with the Japanese art form reveals a distinct aesthetic opposition, which alongside the prevalence of visual languages associated with ukiyo-e, exposes clear causation. The bright colours and graphic tendencies of van Gogh’s most prolific works are techniques that were significantly informed through interactions with the design and aesthetics of ukiyo-e woodblocks. Beyond these considerations, this paper shows the way in which van Gogh’s mental health influenced and skewed his perception of the medium’s meaning, therefore informing his recontextualisation of their visual language. The writing of van Gogh himself affirms the conclusion that Japanese artmaking techniques played an informative role in the development of his posthumously acclaimed visual style