John Ralston Saul
A cerebral critic of corporate managerialism, he argues for a return to citizen-led democracy and the primacy of public good.
Born 1947 (age 79)·Canadian writer and political philosopher·Birthday: June 19·Baby Boomers
Biography
John Ralston Saul is a Canadian thinker who approaches philosophy not from the academy, but as a public intervention. With a PhD from King's College London, he initially wrote novels before turning to the non-fiction works that made his name, such as 'Voltaire's Bastards,' a sweeping critique of how reason divorced from ethics created a society ruled by technocrats. He posits that we live in a 'corporatist' state where managerial elites have hollowed out the role of the active citizen. Saul's voice is distinctly and purposefully Canadian, often exploring how the country's complex, multilateral identity is a model for the modern world. As the longtime president of PEN International, he campaigned globally for imprisoned writers and free speech. Married to former Governor General Adrienne Clarkson, he has operated from a unique position within Canada's cultural and intellectual establishment, constantly prodding it to live up to its own ideals.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
John was born in 1947, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When John Was Born
The biggest hits of 1947
#1 Movie
The Egg and I
Best Picture
Gentleman's Agreement
John's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1947Born
India gains independence; the Dead Sea Scrolls found
Gas: $0.23/galHome: $6,600Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Near You" — Francis CraigBest Picture: Gentleman's Agreement
1952Started school
Queen Elizabeth II ascends the throne
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $8,350Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Blue Tango" — Leroy AndersonBest Picture: The Greatest Show on Earth
1960Became a teenager
Kennedy-Nixon debates become first televised presidential debates
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $11,900Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Theme from A Summer Place" — Percy FaithBest Picture: The Apartment
1963Could drive
JFK assassinated in Dallas; Martin Luther King's 'I Have a Dream' speech
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $13,100Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"Sugar Shack" — Jimmy Gilmer & The FireballsBest Picture: Tom Jones
1965Could vote
US sends combat troops to Vietnam
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $13,600Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" — The Rolling StonesBest Picture: The Sound of Music
1968Turned 21
Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert Kennedy assassinated
Gas: $0.34/galHome: $14,950Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"Hey Jude" — The BeatlesBest Picture: Oliver!
1977Turned 30
Star Wars premieres; Elvis dies
Gas: $0.62/galHome: $31,800Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Tonight's the Night" — Rod StewartBest Picture: Annie Hall
1987Turned 40
Black Monday stock market crash
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $72,400Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Walk Like an Egyptian" — The BanglesBest Picture: The Last Emperor
1997Turned 50
Princess Diana dies in Paris car crash; Harry Potter published
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $104,100Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Candle in the Wind 1997" — Elton JohnBest Picture: Titanic
2007Turned 60
iPhone released; Great Recession begins
Gas: $2.80/galHome: $172,600Min wage: $5.85/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Irreplaceable" — BeyonceBest Picture: No Country for Old Men
2017Turned 70
#MeToo movement; solar eclipse crosses the US
Gas: $2.42/galHome: $195,000Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Shape of You" — Ed SheeranBest Picture: The Shape of Water
2026Age 79 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Served as the International President of PEN International from 2009 to 2015, advocating for freedom of expression.
- Authored 'The Unconscious Civilization,' which won the 1996 Governor General's Literary Award for non-fiction.
- Co-founded and co-chairs the Institute for Canadian Citizenship, an organization promoting active citizenship.
- His philosophical trilogy, beginning with 'Voltaire's Bastards,' is widely taught in Canadian political science courses.
Did You Know?
He is married to Adrienne Clarkson, the 26th Governor General of Canada.
Before his writing career took off, he worked in the international oil business and for a Canadian investment firm.
He is a fluent French speaker and many of his books are published in French first.
“The citizen is not someone who is manipulated. The citizen is someone who participates.”
