Former Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott has warned that Western civilisation must overcome growing self-doubt, arguing that while self-criticism has historically been one of its greatest strengths, it is now risking a deeper “civilisational malaise”.
In a speech delivered to graduates at the University of Austin, published on his Substack, Abbott said there is a “real danger that we might be living through the twilight of the West”, which he described as facing both external geopolitical pressures and internal cultural and economic challenges.
He pointed to rising strategic tensions involving Russia, China and Iran, as well as domestic issues across Western nations, including economic stagnation, social fragmentation, and political instability.
However, Abbott argued that internal challenges were now more serious than external threats, citing stagnant living standards, deindustrialisation, welfare dependency, and record levels of migration across Western countries.
He said Australia, in particular, had shifted from its earlier expectation of migrant integration towards a multicultural model that, in his view, risks weakening social cohesion.
“Now, under the doctrine of multiculturalism, they’re officially encouraged to maintain their old identity, not so much joining Team Australia as living in Hotel Australia.”
Abbott also linked these concerns to broader cultural debates, arguing that Western societies were increasingly engaged in “self-loathing” over historical issues such as slavery, empire and Indigenous dispossession, which he said was undermining confidence in their achievements.
Despite the warnings, the former prime minister said the West has overcome periods of crisis before, pointing to the 1980s reform era under leaders such as Ronald Reagan, Margaret Thatcher and Pope John Paul II as an example of renewal driven by strong leadership and conviction.
He told graduates that Western civilisation remains “worth believing in and worth fighting for”, and urged them to draw on the Western canon of ideas to shape future leadership.
Abbott said universities like the University of Austin had a key role in developing future leaders by grounding them in history, philosophy and classical thought, enabling them to engage critically with enduring questions about governance, freedom, prosperity and human flourishing.
He concluded by encouraging students to “strive, to seek, to find and not to yield”, and to take responsibility for shaping a better future, adding: “to whom much is given, much is expected.”
Support our Journalism
No-nonsense journalism. No paywalls. Whether you’re in Australia, the UK, Canada, the USA, or India, you can support The Australia Today by taking a paid subscription via Patreon or donating via PayPal — and help keep honest, fearless journalism alive.
