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The Doubter's Companion: A Dictionary of Aggressive Common Sense
A long and distinguished tradition of writers have used the form of a satirical dictionary to undermine the received ideas of their day. Voltaire wrote a sharply humorous "Philosophical Dictionary," while Samuel Johnson's dictionary of the English language was derisive and opinionated. These early dictionaries and encyclopedias were really weapons in a struggle for the soul of civilization between forces of humanistic enlightenment and the forces of orthodoxy and dogmatism. Their authors attacked and exposed the half-truths of their day by showing that it was possible to think differently about the social and political arrangements that everyone took for granted.
But as John Ralston Saul argues in this decidedly unorthodox book, modern dictionaries have once again been captured by the forces of orthodoxy—albeit this time a rationalist orthodoxy. Our language has become as predictable, fragmented, and rhetorical as it was in the 18th century, divided as it is by special interest groups into dialects of expertise that are hermetically sealed off and inaccessible to citizens. In The Doubter's Companion , a marvelous subversive contribution to the great 18th century tradition of the humanist dictionary, Saul skewers and discredits the accepted content of common terms like Advertising, Academics, and Air Conditioning (defined as "an efficient means for spreading disease in enclosed public spaces"); Cannibal, Conservative, and Croissant; Dandruff, Death, and Dictionary ("opinions presented as truth in alphabetical order"); and several hundred others, including Biography ("a respectable form of pornography"), Museum ("safe storage for stolen objects"), and Manners ("people are always splendid when they're dead").
There is much in this volume that will stimulate, offend, provoke, perplex, and entertain. But Saul deploys these tactics of guerilla lexicography to advance the more serious purpose of reclaiming public language from the stultifying dialects of modern expertise.
But as John Ralston Saul argues in this decidedly unorthodox book, modern dictionaries have once again been captured by the forces of orthodoxy—albeit this time a rationalist orthodoxy. Our language has become as predictable, fragmented, and rhetorical as it was in the 18th century, divided as it is by special interest groups into dialects of expertise that are hermetically sealed off and inaccessible to citizens. In The Doubter's Companion , a marvelous subversive contribution to the great 18th century tradition of the humanist dictionary, Saul skewers and discredits the accepted content of common terms like Advertising, Academics, and Air Conditioning (defined as "an efficient means for spreading disease in enclosed public spaces"); Cannibal, Conservative, and Croissant; Dandruff, Death, and Dictionary ("opinions presented as truth in alphabetical order"); and several hundred others, including Biography ("a respectable form of pornography"), Museum ("safe storage for stolen objects"), and Manners ("people are always splendid when they're dead").
There is much in this volume that will stimulate, offend, provoke, perplex, and entertain. But Saul deploys these tactics of guerilla lexicography to advance the more serious purpose of reclaiming public language from the stultifying dialects of modern expertise.
352 pages, Paperback
First published October 11, 1994
11 people are currently reading
593 people want to read
About the author
John Ralston Saul
57 books228 followersJohn Ralston Saul is a Canadian writer, essayist, and public intellectual best known for his provocative works on themes such as individualism, citizenship, democracy, globalization, and the role of the public intellectual. His books, widely translated and read around the world, challenge conventional economic and political thinking and advocate for civic responsibility and ethical governance. A celebrated critic of technocratic and corporatist ideologies, Saul is often recognized for his passionate defense of the public good and his deep belief in the transformative power of engaged citizenship.
Born in Ottawa, Saul was educated in Canada, France, and the United Kingdom. He holds a PhD from King’s College London, where he focused on the modernization of France during the Algerian War. Early in his career, he worked in both the corporate world and in diplomacy, notably serving as an assistant to André Malraux, the famed French novelist and minister. These experiences informed his understanding of the interplay between power, culture, and politics, which would later become central to his writing.
Saul first gained international attention with his 1988 philosophical novel Voltaire’s Bastards: The Dictatorship of Reason in the West, a critique of how rationality, while necessary, had been distorted into a cold, managerial ideology disconnected from ethics, culture, and human values. The book, and subsequent works like The Unconscious Civilization and The Doubter’s Companion, positioned him as a leading voice in what he called “responsible humanism”—a worldview that values reason but insists it be balanced by intuition, memory, and imagination.
His 2008 book A Fair Country: Telling Truths About Canada argued that Canada’s political culture is deeply shaped by Indigenous values, particularly egalitarianism, negotiation, and mutual respect. The book challenged traditional Eurocentric narratives and emphasized the need for a new national conversation built on inclusion and reconciliation. This work reflects Saul’s long-standing commitment to Indigenous issues in Canada, which has also shaped his public advocacy.
Saul served as president of PEN International, the global writers’ organization, from 2009 to 2015, where he championed freedom of expression and supported writers under threat around the world. He is also the longtime companion and husband of Adrienne Clarkson, former Governor General of Canada, and served as her close advisor during her tenure from 1999 to 2005.
His many awards include the Governor General’s Literary Award for Non-Fiction, the Pablo Neruda Medal, and the Canada Council Molson Prize. Saul is also a Companion of the Order of Canada and a Chevalier of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres in France.
Through his essays, novels, lectures, and international work, John Ralston Saul has established himself as one of Canada’s foremost thinkers—a defender of thoughtful dissent and a persistent voice for a more just, inclusive, and imaginative society. His work continues to influence debates on democracy, culture, and civic engagement both in Canada and abroad.
Born in Ottawa, Saul was educated in Canada, France, and the United Kingdom. He holds a PhD from King’s College London, where he focused on the modernization of France during the Algerian War. Early in his career, he worked in both the corporate world and in diplomacy, notably serving as an assistant to André Malraux, the famed French novelist and minister. These experiences informed his understanding of the interplay between power, culture, and politics, which would later become central to his writing.
Saul first gained international attention with his 1988 philosophical novel Voltaire’s Bastards: The Dictatorship of Reason in the West, a critique of how rationality, while necessary, had been distorted into a cold, managerial ideology disconnected from ethics, culture, and human values. The book, and subsequent works like The Unconscious Civilization and The Doubter’s Companion, positioned him as a leading voice in what he called “responsible humanism”—a worldview that values reason but insists it be balanced by intuition, memory, and imagination.
His 2008 book A Fair Country: Telling Truths About Canada argued that Canada’s political culture is deeply shaped by Indigenous values, particularly egalitarianism, negotiation, and mutual respect. The book challenged traditional Eurocentric narratives and emphasized the need for a new national conversation built on inclusion and reconciliation. This work reflects Saul’s long-standing commitment to Indigenous issues in Canada, which has also shaped his public advocacy.
Saul served as president of PEN International, the global writers’ organization, from 2009 to 2015, where he championed freedom of expression and supported writers under threat around the world. He is also the longtime companion and husband of Adrienne Clarkson, former Governor General of Canada, and served as her close advisor during her tenure from 1999 to 2005.
His many awards include the Governor General’s Literary Award for Non-Fiction, the Pablo Neruda Medal, and the Canada Council Molson Prize. Saul is also a Companion of the Order of Canada and a Chevalier of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres in France.
Through his essays, novels, lectures, and international work, John Ralston Saul has established himself as one of Canada’s foremost thinkers—a defender of thoughtful dissent and a persistent voice for a more just, inclusive, and imaginative society. His work continues to influence debates on democracy, culture, and civic engagement both in Canada and abroad.
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Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
July 20, 2007
This is a damned interesting and amusing book.
It's a dictionary in the same vein as Bierce's The Devil's Dictionary. It ruminates on the meaning of words and phrases rather than sets the meaning in stone. The author makes it very clear that this is his opinion and not The Truth.
Here's an example:
ERROR Error is the result of a particular human strength: the ability to act in an unprogrammed, that is illogical, that is conscious, manner, by thinking and communicating unconventional thoughts. To err is a sign of intelligence.
As you can see, this goes against common thought which regards error as equivalent to stupidity or even evil.
The book slashes at what we believe, questions how in tune with the world we are. Every ideology whether capitalism, Marxism or neo-conservatism is given a brass knuckle's worth of thought. Indeed, thanks to this book and others of Mr. Saul's I discovered how little difference there is between them.
If you want your mind jarred, if you want a fresh perspective, if you just want a good laugh, I highly recommend this book.
It's a dictionary in the same vein as Bierce's The Devil's Dictionary. It ruminates on the meaning of words and phrases rather than sets the meaning in stone. The author makes it very clear that this is his opinion and not The Truth.
Here's an example:
ERROR Error is the result of a particular human strength: the ability to act in an unprogrammed, that is illogical, that is conscious, manner, by thinking and communicating unconventional thoughts. To err is a sign of intelligence.
As you can see, this goes against common thought which regards error as equivalent to stupidity or even evil.
The book slashes at what we believe, questions how in tune with the world we are. Every ideology whether capitalism, Marxism or neo-conservatism is given a brass knuckle's worth of thought. Indeed, thanks to this book and others of Mr. Saul's I discovered how little difference there is between them.
If you want your mind jarred, if you want a fresh perspective, if you just want a good laugh, I highly recommend this book.
December 23, 2007
Imagine Keats's negative capability being put to practical political and economic use. Too bad we Americans don't read Canadian writers, because if this book were as omnipresent as Freakonomics hereabouts, the world would be an entirely different place. Essential.
May 1, 2021
An erudite, yet accessible, condemnation of specialization/managers/experts that insulate themselves from public accountability through their use of jargon. This is done in this book by way of re-defining accepted definitions of commonly used terms. While likely sounding boring, in the prose of John Ralston Saul it is anything but. With wit, pithiness, and genius Saul attacks our economic, political, societal systems with the precision and severity of a marksman with venom-tipped arrows; offering unique and intelligent perspectives on just about everything.
Apparently Time magazine called John Ralston Saul a prophet, and after reading this book, which was written in 1994, it's not hard to see why. His writing about government failures to control the spread of airborne viruses, the rise of false populism, the rise of property speculation, the failings that result deregulation, how electronic communication intended for unification tends to succeed instead in further fracturing, etc., feels as fresh as if it was written earlier this morning. Though perhaps this is just a case of my own lack of knowledge of history and its bleak penchant for repetition.
Apparently Time magazine called John Ralston Saul a prophet, and after reading this book, which was written in 1994, it's not hard to see why. His writing about government failures to control the spread of airborne viruses, the rise of false populism, the rise of property speculation, the failings that result deregulation, how electronic communication intended for unification tends to succeed instead in further fracturing, etc., feels as fresh as if it was written earlier this morning. Though perhaps this is just a case of my own lack of knowledge of history and its bleak penchant for repetition.
April 6, 2024
Fun, insightful, and consistently witty. Some entries are dated, for sure. Others feel remarkably timely, indeed almost prophetic. Notwithstanding the "Dictionary" in the subtitle, I wasn't expecting this book to be written like an actual dictionary. I am probably never going to read this book cover to cover again, but I will be using it like a dictionary, returning to entries, if only to get a distinctly contrarian perspective on commonly used terms.
March 12, 2018
This is definitely a fun read, but one that’ll resonate with a very small audience. At one point, Saul places emphasis on the education of the general populace over the elites and admonishes novelists who make their writing inaccessible. To get anything out of The Doubter’s Companion, though, one would need more than a basic understanding of modern ideologies and their founding philosophers (Hobbes, Machiavelli, Burke, Descartes, and the like). It’s not for the general populace either.
I don’t like that the population on behalf of which Saul advocates in his book is almost entirely disjoint from the intended audience of the same book. It makes me think that, while he did his job well, he did not do it correctly. I really enjoyed it for its humour and entertaining wit, but this’ll probably be one of those lonely books that collect dust on my shelf because I feel that I can’t lend it or talk about it with anyone who’d enjoy it. Lonely books are the worst.
I don’t like that the population on behalf of which Saul advocates in his book is almost entirely disjoint from the intended audience of the same book. It makes me think that, while he did his job well, he did not do it correctly. I really enjoyed it for its humour and entertaining wit, but this’ll probably be one of those lonely books that collect dust on my shelf because I feel that I can’t lend it or talk about it with anyone who’d enjoy it. Lonely books are the worst.
December 10, 2023
It's very hard to write a review of this book because its aim is in part to resist summary description. I came to it because I loved A Fair Country: Telling Truths About Canada and I wanted to learn more about what was driving JRS's thinking.
JRS does not want to be captured in terms of Ideology ("Tendentious arguments which advance a world view as absolute truth in order to win and hold political power"). He succeeds at this- read the opposing entries on Nationalization and Privatization, or the entry on Burke ("An unfortunate prisoner of the twentieth-century ideological prism, forcibly confined for the last sixty years to the Right, although for the preceding one hundred years he was considered one of the great voices of reform, which constantly sought justice and social balance"). I had to go and read Burke to try and make sense of that.
JRS also doesn't want to be captured by the written word altogether, preferring an approximation to orality.
I don't want to create the impression that the only thing JRS does is muse on iconoclasm without concrete substance (he wouldn't be a good Burkean if that's what he did). He is at his strongest when fleshing out particular positions. Debts should sometimes be negotiated instead of paid. Our economic strategy should not target raising levels of unemployment. Moderate, sensible regulation is required for the functioning of a capitalist society. The organization of modern society is better described as "corporatism" than as representative government. Dandruff is cured by vinegar.
In this way JRS puts his skin in the game, as he accuses elites of failing to do (he believes our obsession with "meritocracy" has created a class of courtiers who are incentivized to not take risks or address problems). So it really is a dictionary of "aggressive common sense". This weirdly makes the book kind of calming to read, even though its tone is combative. It creates an impression that there is an escape from rigid thinking that we can wake up to and deal with what is in front of us.
The closest JRS comes to a single, fixed, positive program is is explanation of Humanism as balance.
JRS does not want to be captured in terms of Ideology ("Tendentious arguments which advance a world view as absolute truth in order to win and hold political power"). He succeeds at this- read the opposing entries on Nationalization and Privatization, or the entry on Burke ("An unfortunate prisoner of the twentieth-century ideological prism, forcibly confined for the last sixty years to the Right, although for the preceding one hundred years he was considered one of the great voices of reform, which constantly sought justice and social balance"). I had to go and read Burke to try and make sense of that.
JRS also doesn't want to be captured by the written word altogether, preferring an approximation to orality.
We are trying to think our way out of a linguistic prison. This means we need to create a new language and new interpretations, which can only be accomplished by re-establishing the equilibrium between the oral and the written.Furthermore, JRS doesn't like certainty at all, preferring Doubt ("The only human activity capable of controlling the use of power in a positive way. Doubt is central to understanding").
I don't want to create the impression that the only thing JRS does is muse on iconoclasm without concrete substance (he wouldn't be a good Burkean if that's what he did). He is at his strongest when fleshing out particular positions. Debts should sometimes be negotiated instead of paid. Our economic strategy should not target raising levels of unemployment. Moderate, sensible regulation is required for the functioning of a capitalist society. The organization of modern society is better described as "corporatism" than as representative government. Dandruff is cured by vinegar.
In this way JRS puts his skin in the game, as he accuses elites of failing to do (he believes our obsession with "meritocracy" has created a class of courtiers who are incentivized to not take risks or address problems). So it really is a dictionary of "aggressive common sense". This weirdly makes the book kind of calming to read, even though its tone is combative. It creates an impression that there is an escape from rigid thinking that we can wake up to and deal with what is in front of us.
For the humanist, short-term problems are not a crisis. They simply represent reality with all its complications and contradictions. And the citizen's reaction to reality is not expected to be passive, for the simple reason that human nature is neither a problem nor something to be feared.But that's not to say that there are Answers ("A mechanism for avoiding questions").
The closest JRS comes to a single, fixed, positive program is is explanation of Humanism as balance.
A reasonable list of human qualities might include: ethics, common sense, imagination or creativity, memory or history or experience, intuition, and reason. The humanist tries to use all of these.I think he becomes more explicit about this in On Equilibrium, which I would like to read. But like I said, an attempt to pin a glib meaning onto this book is self-defeating. Read it if you have skeptical leanings or like hearing unique points of view. Or, if you don't. JRS definitely threw me off some positions I thought I understood well.
March 13, 2019
I picked this up at a library book sale in Alberta. Took it home and tried reading it. After a few pages I tossed it in the recycle bin. A day later I fished it out and stuck it in the bathroom - since the definitions (it's a book of definitions btw) are anywhere from a short paragraph to a few pages long, it seemed ideal for the morning...umm....read.
Oddly enough, a couple of days ago I watched a bit of "The Old Gringo", a movie with Gregory Peck and Jane Fonda based on Ambrose Bierce's disappearance into the Mexican Revolution. So I looked up Ambrose Bierce. Apparently he wrote a weekly newspaper column of definitions which he titled The Devil's Dictionary; parts of it were later compiled into a volume called The Cynic's Word Book.
The Doubter's Companion seems to be along the same lines. Saul does provide some interesting information, particularly on philosophy and economics. He's quite critical of the "elites" and apparently doesn't see himself as one.
Anyway, it served its purpose and is now back in the recycle bin.
Oddly enough, a couple of days ago I watched a bit of "The Old Gringo", a movie with Gregory Peck and Jane Fonda based on Ambrose Bierce's disappearance into the Mexican Revolution. So I looked up Ambrose Bierce. Apparently he wrote a weekly newspaper column of definitions which he titled The Devil's Dictionary; parts of it were later compiled into a volume called The Cynic's Word Book.
The Doubter's Companion seems to be along the same lines. Saul does provide some interesting information, particularly on philosophy and economics. He's quite critical of the "elites" and apparently doesn't see himself as one.
Anyway, it served its purpose and is now back in the recycle bin.
May 7, 2017
Saul's unique work is a combination of philosophy and satire presented in dictionary form. The dictionary is far from comprehensive, and Saul seems to choose his words as they relate to the four central themes of doubt, balance, language and corporatism. His criticism of academic and specialist language/dialects is especially interesting. Written language in critical theory is nearly suffocating, impenetrable and self-referencial among those in a specific field, thus isolating self-christianed experts to communcation amongst themselves and irrelevent to everyday life. It is not without irony that Saul's writing is occasionally stilted, requiring more effort than neccessary on the part of the reader. The Doubter's Companion is worth a read-through or quick browse for those thinking of conquering Saul's other, more comprehensive titles.
August 4, 2017
A thoroughly challenging book. It not only challenged my thinking and beliefs, but it also challenged my reading ability: Ralston Saul is not an easy read. He tends to use words and phrases in unconventional ways and assumes we understand them. In addition, I found it difficult to tell when he was being facetious, satirical, silly, or playing it seriously. However, there is wonderful material for thought in this book, providing different ways to view many things we accept or take for granted. While this book is somewhat old, it is not out of date - he clearly understands the phenomenon of the current U.S. president.
Though I read the book from front to back, I would recommend reading it by following Ralston Saul's "see also" suggestions. This might assist in understanding the main themes he is putting forward.
Though I read the book from front to back, I would recommend reading it by following Ralston Saul's "see also" suggestions. This might assist in understanding the main themes he is putting forward.
January 21, 2008
In case the subtitle left any doubt, this book is delivered in a dictionary format. It's not the kind of book I read cover-to-cover, but one I dip into from time-to-time, just to read a few entries. The definitions are simultaneously acts of political and social protest, and acts of radical clarity (in a time when mere clarity is far too radical). Hilarious at times, cutting at other times, and always sharp, this book defines "strong authorial point-of-view."
September 21, 2007
A brilliant dictionary, à la Voltaire, by the most astute thinker on all things political, economic, and cultural that I have read in my lifetime. My favorite definition is how he calls the Big Mac the communion wafer of capitalism. Reading Saul can be very frustrating because he challenges so many truths that I once held...unchallengeable.
January 31, 2008
A great compendium of non-normative definitions of key words used often.
Not exactly a book to read from the first page to the last, but an enjoyable index.
Some of the definitions are redundant and vague, but all in all The Doubter's Companion is a great supplement to the most common buzz words.
Not exactly a book to read from the first page to the last, but an enjoyable index.
Some of the definitions are redundant and vague, but all in all The Doubter's Companion is a great supplement to the most common buzz words.
Read
October 25, 2016Saul's text follows the form of a brief encyclopedia, offering critical commentary and unique takes on familiar terms. Not really meant to be read cover to cover, I picked at a few entries and either appreciated his angle or found the tone condescending. I've dabbled lightly in Saul's philosophy and intend to do so again, at some point.
Did not finish.
Did not finish.
August 30, 2007
Liberate yourself from the tyranny of language!
Not that reading this book will do that but it is great fun. A dictionary of modern political and social terms without the usual bullshit.... It's a different set of bullshit.
Not that reading this book will do that but it is great fun. A dictionary of modern political and social terms without the usual bullshit.... It's a different set of bullshit.
March 15, 2008
Couldn't really get into it.
September 15, 2010
A delight!
July 26, 2011
Fun to read but not worth the money
June 27, 2013
Fun book I go back to from time to time.
August 5, 2014
Una de las mejores lecturas de toda mi vida. Una guía para cuestionarlo todo y por tanto replantear cuestiones esenciales. Siempre con un humor cínico y sabio.
Un 10.
Un 10.
September 14, 2014
Excellent, thought provoking and stimulating perspectives. Entertaining
December 4, 2014
Este libro es el Diccionario del Diablo y su autor el Ambrocio Bierce de este siglo. Imposible no reírte y preocuparte al mismo tiempo.
November 19, 2015
Written quite differently I found it both amusing and at times thought provoking.
December 28, 2016
Humorous, Insightful, refreshing, excellent!
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews