Mark Kingwell

Mark Gerald Kingwell (born March 1, 1963) is a Canadian philosopher, professor, and former associate chair at the University of Toronto's Department of Philosophy. He is a fellow of Trinity College and specializes in theories of politics and culture. Kingwell writes extensively in both scholarly and mainstream publications, addressing topics such as social justice, discourse ethics, aesthetics, film theory, philosophy of architecture and urbanism, philosophy of technology, and cultural theory. He has published numerous books, including "A Civil Tongue: Justice, Dialogue, and the Politics of Pluralism" (winner of the Spitz Prize), "Dreams of Millennium: Report from a Culture on the Brink," "In Pursuit of Happiness: Better Living from Plato to Prozac," and "Concrete Reveries: Consciousness and the City." His work has been translated into nine languages, and he has received several accolades, including a Humanist of the Year award and National Magazine Awards. Kingwell has also been recognized as a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada. He is known for his public appearances on television and radio and his involvement in documentaries. In his personal life, he identifies as a social democrat and a recovering Catholic, with interests in baseball, football, fly fishing, and music. He has been married twice and has two stepdaughters. He has publicly shared his struggles with alcohol and the need for liver transplant surgeries.