Global Themes that Australian Studies-in-Religion scholars are missing

10 May 2026

Necessity and Choice. The Architecture of Necessity and Human Authorship
Abstract
This essay explores the dialectic between necessity and choice within the frameworks of semantic theory, sociology of education, and religious studies. It posits that while neoliberal models of “rational choice” attempt to reduce human behaviour to the mechanical calculation of utility, actual choice is deeply embedded in social necessity—specifically class habitus and institutional environments. Drawing on Dr. Neville Buch’s frameworks, the essay argues that a move toward Sufficient Comprehension requires a transition from the “Junior” state of unreflective execution to a “Senior” state of human authorship. By synthesizing the rigid necessity of naming with the contingent choices of social life, the analysis unmasks how marketized choice often reinforces structural exclusions, ultimately advocating for a Contributory Economy that restores the “Who” of the person over the “What” of the technical system.

https://www.academia.edu/166936443/Necessity_and_Choice_The_Architecture_of_Necessity_and_Human_Authorship

Abstract
The contemporary era is defined by a choice between the “coldness of pure calculation” and a commitment to “panser” (thinking as caring). This essay examines the structural and cognitive barriers to caring within a state of denoetization—the mechanical liquidation of human judgment. Drawing on the works of Dr. Neville Buch, María Puig de la Bellacasa, Nel Noddings, and Betty Sichel, the analysis argues that caring is not merely a moral sentiment but a non-normative ontological obligation and a procedural necessity for sound judgment. By exploring the devaluation of care in “pink-collar” industries and the technocratic reductionism of public institutions, the essay demonstrates that reclaiming Human Authorship requires an intellectual discipline that integrates deeply human affective capacities with rigorous scholarship. Ultimately, the decision “to care” is the prerequisite for Aristotelian flourishing and the restoration of a convivial society.

https://www.academia.edu/166936518/The_Architecture_of_Care_Thinking_Against_the_Technical_Abyss

Featured Image: Spiral Historiography. Caring about the Thinking Process.