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The Berggruen Prize for Philosophy and Culture goes to Michael Sandel
The ninth winner of the one-million-dollar prize is the Harvard political philosopher known for his work on justice, the moral limits of markets and democracy. The ceremony takes place in Cambridge in the spring of 2026.
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Michael Sandel, political philosopher at Harvard University, has won the one-million-dollar Berggruen Prize for Philosophy and Culture. The prize is given to thinkers whose ideas have profoundly shaped human self-understanding.
The citation
Sandel's award was made for work on justice, ethics, markets and democracy that has influenced public argument worldwide. His Harvard course Justice has reached millions of viewers since it was put online; his critique of "a society in which everything is for sale" opened the question of the moral limits of market reasoning.
The ninth laureate
Sandel joins a list that includes Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Martha Nussbaum and Peter Singer. The ceremony takes place in Cambridge, Massachusetts, in the spring of 2026.
Why it matters
The Berggruen Prize is known for singling out figures who have taken philosophy out of academic specialism and placed it at the centre of public argument. Sandel's selection also confirms the weight of political philosophy in current debates about inequality and merit.
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