Mark Kingwell
Encyclopedia
Mark Gerald Kingwell, M.Litt, M.Phil, PhD
, D.F.A. (born March 1, 1963) is a Canadian professor
of philosophy
and associate chair at the University of Toronto
's Department of Philosophy. Kingwell is a fellow of Trinity College
. He specialises in theories of politics
and culture
.
Kingwell has published twelve books, most notably, A Civil Tongue: Justice, Dialogue, and the Politics of Pluralism, which was awarded the Spitz Prize
for political theory in 1997. In 2000 Kingwell received an honorary Doctor of Fine Arts
from the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design, for contributions to theory and criticism. He has held visiting posts at institutions including: University of Cambridge
, University of California at Berkeley, and City University of New York
where he held the title of Weissman Distinguished Professor of Humanities.
He studied at the University of Toronto, editing The Varsity
through 1983 to 1984 and the University of Toronto Review from 84-85. He received his BA
degree from St. Michael's College
with High Distinction in 1985, his MLitt
degree from the University of Edinburgh
in 1987, and both his M.Phil
and PhD
degrees from Yale University
in 1989 and 1991 respectively. He was married to Gail Donaldson in 1988. The marriage ended in divorce in 2004.
Kingwell is a contributing editor to Harper's Magazine
, the literary quarterly Descant, the political monthly This Magazine
and the Globe and Mail books section. He was also a drinks columnist for the men's magazine Toro
. He was formerly a columnist for the National Post
, and a contributing editor of Saturday Night
. He frequently appears on television
and radio
, often on the CBC
, and is well known for his appearance in the documentary film The Corporation. He has delivered the George Grant, Harold Innis, Marx Wartofsky and Larkin-Stuart memorial lectures.
Kingwell’s work has been translated into ten languages, and he lectures to academic and popular audiences around the world. From 2001 to 2004, he was chair of the Institute for Contemporary Culture at the Royal Ontario Museum
. His work on philosophy, art, and architecture has appeared in many leading academic journals and magazines, including The Journal of Philosophy, Philosophical Forum, Ethics, Political Theory, and the Yale Journal of Law and the Humanities, the New York Times
and The New York Times Magazine
, Utne Reader
, Adbusters
, the Walrus
, Harvard Design Magazine
, Canadian Art
, Azure
, Toronto Life
, the Globe and Mail
, and the National Post.
He describes himself as a social democrat and a "recovering Catholic
". According to the Canadian Who's Who 2006, he also enjoys running, baseball, basketball, jazz, films and pop music. He has two brothers: a younger brother named Sean Kingwell and an older brother named Steven Kingwell.
PHD
PHD may refer to:*Ph.D., a doctorate of philosophy*Ph.D. , a 1980s British group*PHD finger, a protein sequence*PHD Mountain Software, an outdoor clothing and equipment company*PhD Docbook renderer, an XML renderer...
, D.F.A. (born March 1, 1963) is a Canadian professor
Professor
A professor is a scholarly teacher; the precise meaning of the term varies by country. Literally, professor derives from Latin as a "person who professes" being usually an expert in arts or sciences; a teacher of high rank...
of philosophy
Philosophy
Philosophy is the study of general and fundamental problems, such as those connected with existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language. Philosophy is distinguished from other ways of addressing such problems by its critical, generally systematic approach and its reliance on rational...
and associate chair at the University of Toronto
University of Toronto
The University of Toronto is a public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, situated on the grounds that surround Queen's Park. It was founded by royal charter in 1827 as King's College, the first institution of higher learning in Upper Canada...
's Department of Philosophy. Kingwell is a fellow of Trinity College
University of Trinity College
The University of Trinity College, informally referred to as Trin, is a college of the University of Toronto, founded in 1851 by Bishop John Strachan. Trinity was intended by Strachan as a college of strong Anglican alignment, after the University of Toronto severed its ties with the Church of...
. He specialises in theories of politics
Politics
Politics is a process by which groups of people make collective decisions. The term is generally applied to the art or science of running governmental or state affairs, including behavior within civil governments, but also applies to institutions, fields, and special interest groups such as the...
and culture
Culture
Culture is a term that has many different inter-related meanings. For example, in 1952, Alfred Kroeber and Clyde Kluckhohn compiled a list of 164 definitions of "culture" in Culture: A Critical Review of Concepts and Definitions...
.
Kingwell has published twelve books, most notably, A Civil Tongue: Justice, Dialogue, and the Politics of Pluralism, which was awarded the Spitz Prize
Spitz Prize
The David and Elaine Spitz Prize is an award for a book in liberal and/or democratic theory.It is awarded annually by a panel based in the Department of Political Science of Columbia University, for the best book in the field published two years earlier...
for political theory in 1997. In 2000 Kingwell received an honorary Doctor of Fine Arts
Doctor of Fine Arts
Doctor of Fine Arts is doctoral degree in fine arts, typically given as an honorary degree . The degree is typically conferred to honor the recipient who has made a contribution to society in the arts...
from the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design, for contributions to theory and criticism. He has held visiting posts at institutions including: University of Cambridge
University of Cambridge
The University of Cambridge is a public research university located in Cambridge, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest university in both the United Kingdom and the English-speaking world , and the seventh-oldest globally...
, University of California at Berkeley, and City University of New York
City University of New York
The City University of New York is the public university system of New York City, with its administrative offices in Yorkville in Manhattan. It is the largest urban university in the United States, consisting of 23 institutions: 11 senior colleges, six community colleges, the William E...
where he held the title of Weissman Distinguished Professor of Humanities.
He studied at the University of Toronto, editing The Varsity
The Varsity (newspaper)
The Varsity is one of the main student newspapers of the University of Toronto. In publication since 1880, it is the second-oldest student newspaper in Canada....
through 1983 to 1984 and the University of Toronto Review from 84-85. He received his BA
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
degree from St. Michael's College
University of St. Michael's College
The University of St. Michael's College is a college of the University of Toronto, founded in 1852 by the Congregation of St. Basil of Annonay, France. While mainly an undergraduate college for liberal arts and sciences, St. Michael's retains its Roman Catholic affiliation through its postgraduate...
with High Distinction in 1985, his MLitt
Master of Letters
The Master of Letters is a postgraduate degree.- United Kingdom :The MLitt is a postgraduate degree awarded by a select few British and Irish universities, predominantly within the ancient English and Scottish universities.- England :Within the English University system MLitts are not universally...
degree from the University of Edinburgh
University of Edinburgh
The University of Edinburgh, founded in 1583, is a public research university located in Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland, and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The university is deeply embedded in the fabric of the city, with many of the buildings in the historic Old Town belonging to the university...
in 1987, and both his M.Phil
Master of Philosophy
The Master of Philosophy is a postgraduate research degree.An M.Phil. is a lesser degree than a Doctor of Philosophy , but in many cases it is considered to be a more senior degree than a taught Master's degree, as it is often a thesis-only degree. In some instances, an M.Phil...
and PhD
Doctor of Philosophy
Doctor of Philosophy, abbreviated as Ph.D., PhD, D.Phil., or DPhil , in English-speaking countries, is a postgraduate academic degree awarded by universities...
degrees from Yale University
Yale University
Yale University is a private, Ivy League university located in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701 in the Colony of Connecticut, the university is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States...
in 1989 and 1991 respectively. He was married to Gail Donaldson in 1988. The marriage ended in divorce in 2004.
Kingwell is a contributing editor to Harper's Magazine
Harper's Magazine
Harper's Magazine is a monthly magazine of literature, politics, culture, finance, and the arts, with a generally left-wing perspective. It is the second-oldest continuously published monthly magazine in the U.S. . The current editor is Ellen Rosenbush, who replaced Roger Hodge in January 2010...
, the literary quarterly Descant, the political monthly This Magazine
This Magazine
This Magazine is an independent alternative Canadian political magazine. It was launched "by a gang of school activists" in 1966 as This Magazine is About Schools, a journal covering political issues in the education system...
and the Globe and Mail books section. He was also a drinks columnist for the men's magazine Toro
Toro (magazine)
TOROmagazine.com is an English language, web-only multimedia publication, billing itself as "the go-to destination for the discerning male." TORO uses state-of-the-art technology to examine contemporary society, with a humorous outlook on the best and worst of modern culture...
. He was formerly a columnist for the National Post
National Post
The National Post is a Canadian English-language national newspaper based in Don Mills, a district of Toronto. The paper is owned by Postmedia Network Inc. and is published Mondays through Saturdays...
, and a contributing editor of Saturday Night
Saturday Night (magazine)
Saturday Night was a Canadian general interest magazine. It was founded in Toronto, Ontario in 1887.The publication was first established as a weekly broadsheet newspaper about public affairs and the arts, which was later expanded into a general interest magazine. The editor, Edmund E. Sheppard,...
. He frequently appears on television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
and radio
Radio
Radio is the transmission of signals through free space by modulation of electromagnetic waves with frequencies below those of visible light. Electromagnetic radiation travels by means of oscillating electromagnetic fields that pass through the air and the vacuum of space...
, often on the CBC
Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, commonly known as CBC and officially as CBC/Radio-Canada, is a Canadian crown corporation that serves as the national public radio and television broadcaster...
, and is well known for his appearance in the documentary film The Corporation. He has delivered the George Grant, Harold Innis, Marx Wartofsky and Larkin-Stuart memorial lectures.
Kingwell’s work has been translated into ten languages, and he lectures to academic and popular audiences around the world. From 2001 to 2004, he was chair of the Institute for Contemporary Culture at the Royal Ontario Museum
Royal Ontario Museum
The Royal Ontario Museum is a museum of world culture and natural history in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. With its main entrance facing Bloor Street in Downtown Toronto, the museum is situated north of Queen's Park and east of Philosopher's Walk in the University of Toronto...
. His work on philosophy, art, and architecture has appeared in many leading academic journals and magazines, including The Journal of Philosophy, Philosophical Forum, Ethics, Political Theory, and the Yale Journal of Law and the Humanities, the New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
and The New York Times Magazine
The New York Times Magazine
The New York Times Magazine is a Sunday magazine supplement included with the Sunday edition of The New York Times. It is host to feature articles longer than those typically in the newspaper and has attracted many notable contributors...
, Utne Reader
Utne Reader
Utne Reader is an American bimonthly magazine. The magazine collects and reprints articles on politics, culture, and the environment from generally alternative media sources, including journals, newsletters, weeklies, zines, music and DVDs...
, Adbusters
AdBusters
The Adbusters Media Foundation is a Canadian-based not-for-profit, anti-consumerist, pro-environment organization founded in 1989 by Kalle Lasn and Bill Schmalz in Vancouver, British Columbia...
, the Walrus
The Walrus
The Walrus is a Canadian general interest magazine which publishes long form journalism on Canadian and international affairs, along with fiction and poetry by Canadian writers. It launched in September 2003, as an attempt to create a Canadian equivalent to American magazines such as Harper's, The...
, Harvard Design Magazine
Harvard Design Magazine
The Harvard Design Magazine is a biannual publication of the Harvard Graduate School of Design that has been published since 1997....
, Canadian Art
Canadian art
Canadian art refers to the visual as well as plastic arts originating from the geographical area of contemporary Canada...
, Azure
Azure
In heraldry, azure is the tincture with the colour blue, and belongs to the class of tinctures called "colours". In engraving, it is sometimes depicted as a region of horizontal lines or else marked with either az. or b. as an abbreviation....
, Toronto Life
Toronto Life
Toronto Life is a monthly Canadian magazine about entertainment, politics and life in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Toronto Life also publishes a number of annual special interest guides about the city, including Home Decor, Stylebook, Eating & Drinking, Real Estate and Weddings. Established in 1966,...
, the Globe and Mail
The Globe and Mail
The Globe and Mail is a nationally distributed Canadian newspaper, based in Toronto and printed in six cities across the country. With a weekly readership of approximately 1 million, it is Canada's largest-circulation national newspaper and second-largest daily newspaper after the Toronto Star...
, and the National Post.
He describes himself as a social democrat and a "recovering Catholic
Recovering catholic
The term "recovering Catholic", is used by some former practitioners of the Roman Catholic faith to describe their religious status. The use of the term implies that the person considers their former Catholicism to have been a negative influence on their life: something that must be "recovered" from...
". According to the Canadian Who's Who 2006, he also enjoys running, baseball, basketball, jazz, films and pop music. He has two brothers: a younger brother named Sean Kingwell and an older brother named Steven Kingwell.
Published works
Kingwell has published fifteen books including:- A Civil Tongue: Justice, Dialogue, and the Politics of Pluralism, Pennsylvania State University Press, 1995, ISBN 0-271-01334-6 (hardcover), ISBN 0-271-01335-4 (paperback). Awarded the 1997 Spitz PrizeSpitz PrizeThe David and Elaine Spitz Prize is an award for a book in liberal and/or democratic theory.It is awarded annually by a panel based in the Department of Political Science of Columbia University, for the best book in the field published two years earlier...
for political theory. - Dreams of Millennium: Report from a Culture on the Brink, Faber & Faber, 1997, ISBN 0-571-19902-X
- In Pursuit of Happiness : Better Living from Plato to Prozac, Crown Publishing Group (NY), 2000, ISBN 0-609-60535-6
- The World We Want: Restoring Citizenship in a Fractured Age, Rowman & Littlefield, 2001, ISBN 0-7425-1258-4, ISBN 0-7425-1266-5.
- Practical Judgments: Essays in Culture, Politics, and Interpretation, University of Toronto PressUniversity of Toronto PressUniversity of Toronto Press is Canada's leading scholarly publisher and one of the largest university presses in North America. Founded in 1901, UTP has published over 6,500 books, with well over 3,500 of these still in print....
, 2002, ISBN 0-8020-3675-9 (hardcover), ISBN 0-8020-3801-8 (paperback) - Catch and Release - Trout fishing and the meaning of life, Penguin Canada, 2003,ISBN 0-14-301565-6
- Nothing for Granted: Tales of War, Philosophy, and Why the Right Was Mostly Wrong: Selected Writings 2000-2003, Penguin Canada, 2005, ISBN 0-14-305193-8
- Nearest Thing to Heaven: The Empire State Building and American Dreams, Yale University Press, 2006, ISBN 978-0-300-10622-0
- Marginalia: A Cultural Reader, Penguin Canada, 1999 ISBN 978-0-14-028699-1
- Classic Cocktails: A Modern Shake, McClelland & Stewart, 2006, ISBN 0-7710-9558-9, ISBN 978-0-7710-9558-0
- Concrete Reveries: Consciousness and the City, Penguin Group Canada, 2008, ISBN 0-670-04326-5, ISBN 978-0-670-04326-2
- The Idler's Glossary, (co-authored with Joshua GlennJoshua GlennJoshua Glenn is a Boston-based writer, editor, and semiotics analyst. He is the cofounder of the websites HiLobrow, Significant Objects, and Semionaut. In the '90s he published the zine Hermenaut. He is married and has two sons....
; Illustrated by SethSethSeth , in Judaism, Christianity and Islam, is the third listed son of Adam and Eve and brother of Cain and Abel, who are the only other of their children mentioned by name...
), Biblioasis, 2008, ISBN 978-1-897231-46-3 - Opening Gambits: Essays on Art and Philosophy, Key Porter Books, 2008, ISBN 978-1-55470-073-8
- Glenn Gould, Viking, 2009, ISBN 978-0-670-06850-0
- Rites of Way. The Politics and Poetics of Public Space, (co-edited with Patrick Turmel), Wilfrid Laurier University Press, 2009, ISBN 978-1-55458-153-5
External links
- University of Toronto: Department of Philosophy bio
- Philosopher Mark Kingwell Is Thinking About You Who Walk In Brooklyn interview Jan 31, 2009
- Interview with Mark about The Idler's Glossary The Lance, Nov. 12, 2008