Ottawa has lost one of its most enduring academic voices with the passing of Randal Marlin, a philosopher whose career at Carleton University spanned decades and whose work on propaganda remains among the most cited in its field.
Marlin spent the bulk of his professional life in Ottawa, where he taught in Carleton's Department of Philosophy and became a familiar presence in the city's intellectual and civic life. He was the kind of professor students remembered long after graduation — rigorous, principled, and deeply committed to the idea that thinking clearly about language and persuasion was not an academic luxury but a civic duty.
A Life's Work on Propaganda and Ethics
Marlin is perhaps best known for his book Propaganda and the Ethics of Persuasion, a landmark text that examined how governments, corporations, and media institutions shape public opinion — and the ethical obligations that come with that power. The book became a standard reference in university courses across North America and was praised for bridging philosophy, political science, and media studies in an accessible, grounded way.
His work was rooted in a deep concern for democratic culture: the idea that citizens need to be equipped to recognize manipulation, evaluate sources critically, and hold powerful institutions to account. In an era when those concerns have only grown more urgent, Marlin's contributions feel more timely than ever.
Ottawa's Intellectual Community Responds
The news of his passing has drawn an outpouring of tributes from former students, colleagues, and Ottawa community members who crossed paths with him over the years. Carleton University's philosophy department, where Marlin was a long-serving faculty member, has lost a foundational figure.
Beyond the classroom, Marlin was known for his willingness to engage publicly on difficult issues — including high-profile advocacy work and commentary on press freedom and civil liberties. He brought the same careful ethical reasoning to public discourse that he demanded in academic work, earning respect across ideological lines.
A Legacy That Outlasts a Lifetime
For Ottawa, Marlin represents a tradition of public scholarship that the city has quietly cultivated through its universities, think tanks, and policy institutions. His was not a flashy public profile, but an earnest, sustained one — the kind built over years of teaching, writing, and showing up to argue for what he believed was right.
His obituary, published in The Globe and Mail, marks the end of a long and meaningful chapter in Ottawa's academic history. For those who studied under him, read his work, or simply heard him speak at a public forum, the loss is personal as much as institutional.
Details on memorial arrangements were not immediately available at the time of publication.
Source: The Globe and Mail / Legacy Obituaries via Google News Ottawa RSS feed.
