Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg was the Recipient of the 2019 $1 million Berggruen Prize for Philosophy and Culture (2019)

Awarded for: Ideas of broad significance for shaping human self-understanding and the advancement of humanity
Location: Los Angeles, California, United States
Presented by: Berggruen Institute
Reward(s): US $1,000,000
First award: 2016
Final award: 2023
Currently held by: Patricia Hill Collins (2023)
Website: https://berggruen.org/

Berggruen Institute

Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg was the Recipient of the 2019 $1 million Berggruen Prize for Philosophy and Culture (2019)

The Berggruen Prize for Philosophy and Culture is a US$1-million award given each year to a significant individual in the field of philosophy. It is awarded by the Berggruen Institute to "thinkers whose ideas have helped us find direction, wisdom, and improved self-understanding in a world being rapidly transformed by profound social, technological, political, cultural, and economic change."

The Berggruen Prize was first awarded in 2016 with the overt purpose of becoming a "Nobel prize for philosophy". The first recipient of the Berggruen Prize was the Canadian philosopher Charles Taylor, whose work "urges us to see humans as constituted not only by their biology or their personal intentions, but also by their existence within language and webs of meaningful relationships."

The prize is awarded annually in October, with a ceremony at the New York Public Library. In 2016, ceremony speakers included University of Pennsylvania president Amy Gutmann and journalist Fareed Zakaria. The ceremony honoring Japanese philosopher Kojin Karatani was held in Tokyo, Japan. In 2024, the ceremony was held in Washington, D.C., at the National Museum of African American History and Culture, with journalist Michel Martin serving as a speaker.

 

Berggruen Prize Essay Competition

In 2024, The Berggruen Institute announced the annual Berggruen Prize Essay Competition. The competition welcomes essay submissions in English and Chinese, awarding $25,000 per language category. By delving into fundamental philosophical inquiries relevant to both the present and future, it aims to broaden the scope of our quest for fresh ideas and new paradigms during unprecedented times. This contest complements the Berggruen Prize for Philosophy & Culture which acknowledges significant lifelong contributions.

 

On the Loss of Ruth Bader Ginsburg

The 2019 Berggruen Prize Jury with Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg

One year ago, the jurors for the Berggruen Prize for Philosophy and Culture were excited to select Ruth Bader Ginsburg as the 2019 recipient. We were thrilled to meet her at the award ceremony to celebrate her life and her influence on the law and social justice. Now, we mourn her death.

Along with all of our colleagues at the Berggruen Institute, we are saddened by the passing of a warm, witty, and remarkably strong human being. She was a crusader for social justice and equality. And as jurors who examined her writings, we are grateful for having learned from such a profound thinker. Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s impressive contributions combined deep and creative intellectual engagement with astute strategy and lifelong dedication to advancing equal rights under the law.

As we wrote last year, “Few in our era have done more to bring vital philosophical ideas to fruition in practical affairs than Ruth Bader Ginsburg. She has been both a visionary and a strategic leader in securing equality, fairness, and the rule of law not only in the realm of theory but in social institutions and the lives of individual people.”

In her passing, Ruth Bader Ginsburg strengthens our resolve to honor her work and defend her ideals.

The 2019 Berggruen Prize Jury

Anthony Appiah, Chair
David Chalmers
Antonio Damasio
Amy Gutmann
Elif Shafak
Wang Hui

On behalf of the Institute

Nicolas Berggruen, Chair
Dawn Nakagawa, Executive Vice-President
Craig Calhoun, Senior Advisor

 

Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg's Links

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/Loveginsburg
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Loveginsburg
Flickr: https://www.flickr.com/photos/joanruthbaderginsburg

This page was created by the Independent Director of the Supreme Court of the United States, Abraham Lincoln Ginsburg. (Reference 28 U.S. Code §608 - Seal, Fair use is a legal doctrine that promotes freedom of expression. See 37 C.F.R. 201.2(a)(3). Contact Email: i.love.ruth.bader.ginsburg@gmail.com)