John Ralston Saul

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John Ralston Saul

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John Ralston Saul (cropped2).jpg
Saul delivering a lecture at the University of Alberta in 2006
Born (1947-06-19) 19 June 1947 (age 76)
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
Alma mater
Occupations
  • Writer
  • political philosopher
Spouse
​
(m. 1999)​
President of
PEN International
In office
October 2009 –October 2015

The Birds of Prey (1977) is a political novel based in Gaullist France. Between 1983 and 1988 Saul then published The Field Trilogy, which deals with the crisis of modern power and its clash with the individual. It includes Baraka, or The Lives, Fortunes and Sacred Honor of Anthony Smith (1983), The Next Best Thing (1986), and The Paradise Eater (1988), which won the Premio Letterario Internazionale in Italy.

De si bons Américains (1994) is a picaresque novel in which he observes the lives of America's nouveaux riches. A vastly reworked and expanded version was published in 2012 as Dark Diversions, Saul's first novel in over fifteen years.

Other fiction writing

Non-fiction writing

Voltaire's Bastards, The Doubter's Companion and The Unconscious Civilization

Saul's non-fiction began with the trilogy comprising the bestseller Voltaire's Bastards: The Dictatorship of Reason in the West (1992), the polemic philosophical dictionary The Doubter's Companion: A Dictionary of Aggressive Common Sense (1994), and the book that grew out of his 1995 Massey Lectures, The Unconscious Civilization (1995). The last won the 1996 Governor General's Award for Non-Fiction Literature.

These books deal with themes such as the dictatorship of reason unbalanced by other human qualities, how it can be used for any ends especially in a directionless state that rewards the pursuit of power for power's sake. He argues that this leads to deformations of thought such as ideology promoted as truth; the rational but anti-democratic structures of corporatism, by which he means the worship of small groups; and the use of language and expertise to mask a practical understanding of the harm caused by this, and what else our society might do. He argues that the rise of individualism with no regard for the role of society has not created greater individual autonomy and self-determination, as was once hoped, but isolation and alienation. He calls for a pursuit of a more humanist ideal in which reason is balanced with other human mental capacities such as common sense, ethics, intuition, creativity, and memory, for the sake of the common good, and he discusses the importance of unfettered language and practical democracy. These attributes are elaborated upon in his 2001 book On Equilibrium.

Reflections of a Siamese Twin

He expanded on these themes as they relate to Canada and its history and culture in Reflections of a Siamese Twin (1998). In this book, he proposed the idea of Canada being a "soft" country, meaning not that the nation is weak, but that it has a flexible and complex identity, as opposed to the unyielding or monolithic identities of other states.

He argues that Canada's complex national identity is made up of the "triangular reality" of the three nations that compose it: First Peoples, francophones, and anglophones. He emphasizes the willingness of these Canadian nations to compromise with one another, as opposed to resorting to open confrontations. In the same vein, he criticizes both those in the Quebec separatist Montreal School for emphasizing the conflicts in Canadian history and the Orange Order and the Clear Grits traditionally seeking clear definitions of Canadian-ness and loyalty.

On Equilibrium

Saul's next book, On Equilibrium (2001), is effectively a fourth, concluding volume to his philosophical quartet. He identifies six qualities as common to all people: common sense, ethics, imagination, intuition, memory, and reason. He describes how these inner forces can be used to balance each other, and what happens when they are unbalanced, for example in the case of a "Dictatorship of Reason".

The Collapse of Globalism

In an article written for Harper's magazine's March 2004 issue, titled The Collapse of Globalism and the Rebirth of Nationalism, he argued that the globalist ideology was under attack by counter-movements. Saul rethought and developed this argument in The Collapse of Globalism and the Reinvention of the World (2005). Far from being an inevitable force, Saul argued that globalization is already breaking down in the face of widespread public opposition and that the world was seeing a rise in nationalism. Following the Great Recession he had predicted, The Collapse of Globalism was re-issued in 2009 with a new epilogue that addressed the economic crisis.

A Fair Country

A Fair Country (2008) is Saul's second major work on Canada. It is organized into four subsections.

"A Métis Civilization"
This section picks up on the argument that Saul makes in Reflections of a Siamese Twin about the 'triangular reality of Canada'. Drawing on the work of scholars like Harold Innis and Gerald Friesen, [13] Saul argues that contemporary Canada has been deeply influenced and shaped by Aboriginal ideas and the experience of both Francophone and Anglophone immigrants over the 250 years, from 1600 on, during which Aboriginals were either the dominant force in Canada, or equal partners. He argues that Aboriginals are making a rapid "comeback", and that their fundamental influence needs to be recognized in order for non-Aboriginal Canadians to understand themselves.
"Peace, Fairness, and Good Government"
In this section Saul argues that instead of the phrase "peace, order, and good government", which appears in and has become a touchstone of the 1867 Canadian Constitution, the phrase that dominated previous Canadian documents was "peace, welfare, and good government". Saul suggests that the ensuing emphasis on "order" has not truly represented Canadian origins.
"The Castrati"
This sections echoes Saul's more general critiques of technocratic and bureaucratic regimes. He also suggests that while current Canadian elites reflect a "disturbing mediocrity" this was not always the case. [14]
"An Intentional Civilization"
Saul uses the final section of the book to argue for a return to an understanding of Canada as a unique response to particular historical circumstances.

Louis-Hippolyte LaFontaine and Robert Baldwin

Saul's contribution to Penguin Canada's Extraordinary Canadians series, of which he serves as general editor, is a double biography of Louis-Hippolyte Lafontaine and Robert Baldwin. In it, he argues that Canada did not begin in 1867, but that in fact its foundations were laid by LaFontaine and Baldwin much earlier. The two leaders of Lower and Upper Canada, respectively, worked together after the 1841 Union to lead a reformist movement for responsible government run by elected citizens instead of a colonial governor. But it was during the "Great Ministry" of 1848–51 that the two politicians implemented laws that Saul argues created a more equitable country. They revamped judicial institutions, created a public education system, made bilingualism official, designed a network of public roads, began a public postal system, and reformed municipal governance. Faced with opposition, and even violence, Saul contends that the two men united behind a set of principles and programs that formed modern Canada.

The Comeback

His most recent work, The Comeback: How Aboriginals Are Reclaiming Power and Influence (2014) was a shortlisted nominee for the 2015 Shaughnessy Cohen Prize for Political Writing. [15] The "comeback" that Saul identifies in this new book emphasizes the strides that Aboriginal people have made in reversing years of population decline and "cultural oppression". As recently as seventy years ago it was widely assumed that Indians were disappearing, the victims of disease, starvation and their own ineptitude for modern civilization. Canada's Aboriginal population is growing in numbers and its cultural and political self-confidence seems boundless. In Saul's view, this observation, while obvious to anyone who studies the history, nonetheless needs hammering home. We are far more used to hearing about the dismal lives of Aboriginal people—their family dysfunction, their crime rates, their impoverished communities—than we are to being told they are a success story. Today's Aboriginal population, for all the problems that afflict it, has overcome incredible disadvantages to achieve what Saul calls "a position of power, influence and civilizational creativity" in Canadian society. [16]

Other non fiction writing

Honours

Saul was made a Companion of the Order of Canada (CC) in 1999. [17] He is also a chevalier of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres of France (1996). [18] His 21 honorary degrees range from McGill University and the University of Ottawa to Herzen University in Saint Petersburg, Russia. On October 16, 2019, he received his latest honorary degree from King's College London. [5] [19]


Ribbon bars of John Ralston Saul
Order of Canada (CC) ribbon bar.svg Order of St John (UK) ribbon -vector.svg Order Ontario ribbon bar.svg
UK Queen Elizabeth II Golden Jubilee Medal ribbon.svg QEII Diamond Jubilee Medal ribbon.svg Ordre des Arts et des Lettres Chevalier ribbon.svg

Commonwealth honours
CountryDateAppointmentPost-nominal letters
Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Canada28 September 1999 Companion of the Order of Canada CC [20]
Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Canada1999 Knight of Justice of the Order of St John [21]
Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Canada2014 Order of Ontario OOnt [22]
Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Canada6 February 2002 Queen Elizabeth II Golden Jubilee Medal (Canadian Version) [23]
Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Canada6 February 2012 Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal (Canadian Version) [24]
Foreign honours
CountryDateDecorationPost-nominal letters
Flag of France.svg France1996 Chevalier of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres
Flag of Germany.svg  Germany 2021 Officer’s Cross, Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany
Scholastic achievements
LocationDateSchoolDegree
Flag of Quebec.svg Quebec1969 McGill University Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Political Science and History
Flag of England.svg England1972 King's College London Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
Chancellor, visitor, governor, rector and fellowships
LocationDateSchoolPosition
Flag of Ontario.svg Ontario2015 –2019 Ryerson University Distinguished Visiting Professor (Faculty of Arts)
Flag of England.svg England King's College London Visiting Professor [25]
Honorary degrees
LocationDateSchoolDegreeGave Commencement Address
Flag of Quebec.svg Quebec10 June 1997 McGill University Doctor of Letters (D.Litt.) [26] Yes
Flag of British Columbia.svg British Columbia5 October 2000 Simon Fraser University Doctor of Laws (LL.D) [27] [28] Yes [29]
Flag of Manitoba.svg Manitoba24 October 2002 University of Manitoba Doctor of Laws (LL.D) [30]
Flag of Ontario.svg Ontario30 May 2003 Laurentian University Doctor of Laws (LL.D.) [31] Yes
Flag of Ontario.svg Ontario2003 Queen's University Doctor of Laws (LL.D) [32]
Flag of New Brunswick.svg New Brunswick2003 Mount Allison University Doctor of Laws (LL.D.) [33]
Flag of Russia.svg Russian Federation29 September 2003 Herzen University Doctorate [34] Yes
Flag of Ontario.svg Ontario31 October 2004 University of Ottawa Doctor of the University (D.Univ.) [35] Yes
Flag of Newfoundland and Labrador.svg Newfoundland and LabradorMay 2011 Memorial University of Newfoundland Doctor of Letters (D.Litt.) [36]
Flag of Ontario.svg Ontario2011 Nipissing University Doctor of Letters (D.Litt.) [37]
Flag of Manitoba.svg Manitoba17 October 2014 University of Winnipeg Doctor of Laws (LL.D) [38] Yes [39]
Flag of Nova Scotia.svg Nova ScotiaSpring 2018 Dalhousie University Doctor of Laws (LL.D.) [40] [41]
Flag of England.svg England16 October 2019 King's College London Doctor of Letters (D.Litt.) [42] Yes
Flag of Ontario.svg Ontario9 June 2023 Ontario Tech University Doctor of Laws [43] Yes

Awards

Archives

There is a John Ralston Saul fonds at Library and Archives Canada. [46]

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References

  1. ↑ Or, more precisely, technocrat-led.
  2. ↑ "6 Degrees". 6 Degrees. Retrieved November 1, 2019.
  3. ↑ "John Ralston Saul". Speakers' Spotlight. Retrieved August 2, 2018.
  4. ↑ "2014 Shaughnessy Cohen Prize for Political Writing Finalist". The Writers' Trust of Canada. Retrieved August 2, 2018.
  5. 1 2 "John Ralston Saul". PEN International. October 17, 2019. Retrieved November 1, 2019.
  6. 1 2 3 Henighan, Stephen (April 12, 2010). "Citizen Saul". The Walrus. Retrieved August 2, 2018.
  7. ↑ "Citizen Saul | The Walrus". April 12, 2010. Retrieved December 30, 2021.
  8. ↑ D'Souza, Claudia (December 12, 1999). "When the Governor General Calls". The Oakville Beaver. p. 9. Retrieved December 30, 2021.
  9. ↑ "Ralston Saul to focus on indigenous languages at PEN". CBC News. October 23, 2009. Retrieved March 27, 2013.
  10. ↑ "His Excellency John Ralston Saul J.D. Young Memorial Lecture 'A New Era of Irregular Warfare?'". Governor General of Canada. Archived from the original on February 26, 2009.
  11. ↑ The McGill Law Journal Annual Lecture Archived December 26, 2008, at the Wayback Machine
  12. ↑ Saul, John Ralston. "Slaves to Money and Growth: when did saving a bank become more important than saving a country?". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved August 18, 2012.
  13. ↑ Friesen, Gerald. Citizens and Nation: An Essay on History, Communication, and Canada. Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 2000.
  14. ↑ Saul, John Ralston. A Fair Country: Telling Truths About Canada. Toronto: Viking, 2008, p. 174
  15. ↑ Medley, Mark (January 27, 2015). "Shaughnessy Cohen Prize finalists announced". The Globe and Mail .
  16. ↑ Francis, Daniel (November 19, 2015). "Time for a Rewrite". Geist. Retrieved March 18, 2017.
  17. ↑ General, Office of the Secretary to the Governor. "Mr. John Ralston Saul". The Governor General of Canada. Retrieved August 15, 2022.
  18. ↑ "John Ralston Saul | Awards and Distinctions | The University of Winnipeg". www.uwinnipeg.ca. Retrieved August 15, 2022.
  19. ↑ "King's celebrates its new honorary graduates". www.kcl.ac.uk. Retrieved October 27, 2020.
  20. ↑ "John Ralston Saul's Order of Canada Citation". Governor General of Canada. Retrieved August 16, 2021.
  21. ↑ file:///C:/Users/Owner/AppData/Local/Temp/Role-of-the-Order-2018-Repetoire-de-lOrdre.pdf
  22. ↑ "The Order of Ontario". The Government of Ontario. Retrieved August 16, 2021.
  23. ↑ "John Ralston Saul Queen Elizabeth II's Golden Jubilee Medal". Governor General of Canada. Retrieved August 16, 2021.
  24. ↑ "John Ralston Saul Queen Elizabeth II's Diamond Jubilee Medal". Governor General of Canada. Retrieved August 16, 2021.
  25. ↑ "John Ralston Saul [visiting faculty]". www.kcl.ac.uk. Retrieved October 27, 2020.
  26. ↑ "McGill Honorary Degree Recipients 1935-October 2019" (PDF). McGill University. Archived from the original (PDF) on January 22, 2021. Retrieved August 16, 2021.
  27. ↑ "Honorary Degree Recipients to 2020" (PDF). Simon Fraser University. Archived (PDF) from the original on August 16, 2021. Retrieved August 16, 2021.
  28. ↑ "Past Honorary Degree Recipients". Simon Fraser University. Retrieved August 16, 2021.
  29. ↑ "John Ralston Saul's Honorary Degree Citation" (PDF). Simon Fraser University. Archived (PDF) from the original on October 13, 2021. Retrieved August 16, 2021.
  30. ↑ "Honorary Degree Recipients". University of Manitoba. Archived from the original on November 16, 2020. Retrieved August 16, 2021.
  31. ↑ "His Excellency John Ralston Saul Honorary Degree Laurentian University". archive.gg.ca. Retrieved October 27, 2020.
  32. ↑ "Queen's University Honorary Degrees" (PDF). Queen's University. Archived (PDF) from the original on March 29, 2015. Retrieved August 16, 2021.
  33. ↑ "Mount Allison University | Honorary degree recipients 21st century". www.mta.ca. Archived from the original on June 9, 2021. Retrieved October 27, 2020.
  34. ↑ "His Excellency John Ralston Saul Address Made Upon the Conferral of an Honorary Degree (Honoris Causa) Herzen State Pedagogical University". archive.gg.ca. Retrieved October 27, 2020.
  35. ↑ "Speech – D. University 2004 John RALSTON SAUL, 2004 | About uOttawa | University of Ottawa". www.uottawa.ca. Retrieved October 27, 2020.
  36. ↑ "Honorary Graduates of Memorial University of Newfoundland 1960-Present" (PDF). Memorial University of Newfoundland. Retrieved August 16, 2021.
  37. ↑ "Honorary Degree Recipients". Nipissing University. Retrieved October 27, 2020.
  38. ↑ "John Ralston Saul Honorary Doctorate". University of Winnipeg. Retrieved August 16, 2021.
  39. ↑ "John Ralston Saul Convocation Address" (PDF). University of Winnipeg. Retrieved August 16, 2021.
  40. ↑ "2018 Honorary Degree Recipients". Dalhousie University. Retrieved August 16, 2021.
  41. ↑ "John Ralston Saul". Dalhousie University. Retrieved August 16, 2021.
  42. ↑ "King's celebrates its new honorary graduates". King's College London. Retrieved August 16, 2021.
  43. ↑ "Mr. John Ralston Saul". ontariotechu.ca. Retrieved October 2, 2023.
  44. ↑ "Writer Saul wins". Montreal Gazette , May 9, 1996.
  45. ↑ "Montador award winners named". North Bay Nugget , May 27, 1999.
  46. ↑ "John Ralston Saul fonds, Library and Archives Canada". July 20, 2017. Retrieved September 18, 2020.
Non-profit organization positions
Preceded by International President of PEN International
2009–2015		Succeeded by
Honorary titles
Preceded by Viceregal Consort of Canada
1999–2005		Succeeded by
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