May 20, 2025 5:00 PM UTC
Roman Krznaric is a social philosopher who writes about the power of ideas to create change. His internationally bestselling books, including The Good Ancestor, Empathy and Carpe Diem Regained, have been published in more than 25 languages.
Learn moreLearn how to break free from short-termism and start thinking like a Good Ancestor. Join bestselling author Roman Krznaric and Virginia Vigliar for a conversation on long-term thinking, legacies, and how to live with future generations in mind.
In this conversation, Roman Krznaric — one of the world’s leading voices on long-term thinking — joins Virginia Vigliar to explore what it means to live with future generations in mind.
Together, they’ll dive into the urgent need to break free from the tyranny of short-termism — in our politics, our culture, and our everyday lives — and rediscover a deeper connection to time, legacy, and the planet. Drawing on indigenous philosophies, neuroscience, and historical perspective, this conversation offers a glimpse into how we can think beyond the now to build a more just, regenerative, and meaningful world.
You’ll learn powerful concepts from Roman’s bestselling book The Good Ancestor, including the practice of cathedral thinking — the capacity to begin work on visionary, long-term projects that may not be completed within our lifetimes — and how this mindset ties into the principle of intergenerational justice, which urges us to safeguard the rights and wellbeing of generations yet to come.
Whether you're a changemaker, a dreamer, a parent, an activist — or simply someone wondering how to live with greater purpose — this is your invitation to start thinking like a good ancestor.
Roman Krznaric is a social philosopher who writes about the power of ideas to create change. His internationally bestselling books, including The Good Ancestor, Empathy and Carpe Diem Regained, have been published in more than 25 languages.
Learn moreRoman Krznaric is a social philosopher who writes about the power of ideas to create change. His internationally bestselling books, including The Good Ancestor, Empathy and Carpe Diem Regained, have been published in more than 25 languages. He is Senior Research Fellow at Oxford University’s Centre for Eudaimonia and Human Flourishing and founder of the world’s first Empathy Museum. His latest book is History for Tomorrow: Inspiration from the Past for the Future of Humanity. After growing up in Sydney and Hong Kong, Roman studied at the universities of Oxford, London and Essex, where he gained his PhD in political science. His writings have been widely influential amongst political and ecological campaigners, education reformers, social entrepreneurs and designers. An acclaimed public speaker, his talks and workshops have taken him from a London prison to the TED global stage. Roman is a member of the Club of Rome and a Research Fellow of the Long Now Foundation. He previously worked as an academic, a gardener and on human rights issues in Guatemala. He is also a top-ranked player of the medieval sport of real tennis.