New York University Philosophy Professor Thomas Nagel has received a 2008 Rolf Schock Prize, the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences announced. Nagel, whose research centers on political philosophy, ethics, and philosophy of mind, received the prize in the category of “Logic and Philosophy.”
New York University Philosophy Professor Thomas Nagel has received a 2008 Rolf Schock Prize, the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences announced. Nagel, whose research centers on political philosophy, ethics, and philosophy of mind, received the prize in the category of “Logic and Philosophy.”
Other winners of the Schock Prize, which is awarded every three years, are: Endre Szemerédi, a professor at Rutgers University and the Hungarian Academy of Sciences (“Mathematics”); artist Mona Hatoum (“Visual Arts”); and musician Gidon Kremer (“Musical Arts”). Each winner receives a cash prize of 500,000 Swedish Kronor (approx. $85,000). The prize-awarding ceremony will take place this October in Stockholm.
Nagel, who also holds an appointment in NYU’s School of Law, is a University Professor at NYU, a title conferred upon outstanding scholars in recognition of the interdisciplinary dimension and breadth of their work. His published works include the following: The Possibility of Altruism (Oxford, 1970, reprinted Princeton, 1978), Mortal Questions (Cambridge, 1979), The View From Nowhere (Oxford, 1986), What Does It All Mean? (Oxford, 1987), Equality and Partiality (Oxford, 1991), Other Minds (Oxford, 1995), The Last Word (Oxford, 1997), The Myth of Ownership: Taxes and Justice, co-authored with Liam Murphy (Oxford, 2002), and Concealment and Exposure (Oxford, 2002).
A recipient of a Distinguished Achievement Award from the Mellon Foundation, Nagel is a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, a fellow of the British Academy, and a member of the American Philosophical Society. He has held fellowships from the Guggenheim Foundation, the National Science Foundation, and the National Endowment for the Humanities. Nagel obtained his bachelor’s degree from Cornell University in 1958, his B.Phil. from Oxford University in 1960, and his Ph.D. from Harvard University in 1963. Nagel had previously been an assistant professor of philosophy at the University of California, Berkeley, and a professor of philosophy at Princeton University.
The Schock Prizes, which were first given in 1993, are awarded by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences (“Logic and Philosophy” and “Mathematics”), the Royal Academy of Fine Arts (“Visual Arts”), and the Royal Swedish Academy of Music (“Music”).
EDITOR’S NOTE
New York University, located in the heart of Greenwich Village, was established in 1831 and is one of America’s leading research universities and a member of the selective Association of American Universities. It is one of the largest private universities, it is a leader in attracting international students and scholars in the U.S, and it sends more students to study abroad than any other U.S. college or university. Through its 14 schools and colleges, NYU conducts research and provides education in the arts and sciences, law, medicine, business, dentistry, education, nursing, the cinematic and performing arts, music, public administration, social work, and continuing and professional studies, among other areas.