Roman Krznaric
Roman Krznaric is a British cultural thinker, philosopher, and author whose work explores the transformative possibilities of empathy, long-term thinking, and the art of living well. Born in Australia and educated at Oxford, Cambridge, and the London School of Economics, Krznaric co-founded the School of Life in London and has been a faculty member at the Oxford Internet Institute. He has lectured and consulted widely for organizations including the United Nations, Oxfam, and various governmental bodies, bringing philosophical ideas to bear on pressing social and political questions.
His book Empathy: Why It Matters and How to Get It (2014) argued for what he called an “empathy revolution” — a cultural and personal commitment to developing the capacity to step imaginatively into other people’s lives. Drawing on neuroscience, history, and cultural criticism, Krznaric made the case that empathy is not merely a passive feeling but an active practice with the potential to transform relationships, communities, and political systems. The book was translated into numerous languages and helped establish him as a leading public intellectual on the subject.
His subsequent book, The Good Ancestor: A Radical Prescription for Long-Term Thinking (2020), addressed one of the central challenges of our time: humanity’s tendency to privilege short-term thinking over long-term responsibility. Krznaric argued that becoming a “good ancestor” — acting in ways that benefit future generations — requires changes in how we design institutions, make decisions, and understand our relationship to time. The book drew wide attention and contributed to growing discussions about intergenerational justice and futures thinking. His earlier work Carpe Diem Regained: The Vanishing Art of Seizing the Day (2017) explored how to reclaim spontaneity and genuine presence in an age of distraction.
Krznaric’s work occupies an important space between academic philosophy and practical wisdom, making ancient and modern ideas about how to live available to readers who want to think more carefully about their choices, their relationships, and their responsibilities to the future.