Axel Honneth to receive Ernst Bloch Prize 2015

Social philosopher Prof. Dr. Axel Honneth is awarded this year’s Ernst Bloch Prize endowed with 10.000 Euros.

The jury voted for Axel Honneth unanimously, stating that: »Like that of no other prominent philosopher of our time, Axel Honneth’s life and work are situated in the complex tradition of Critical Theory that he re-interprets philosophically fitted to our contemporary social reality. Drawing back on Hegel, he articulates a new social criticism that is ignited by circumstances where human dignity is hurt by the systematic denial of recognition. In order to do so, he simultaneously analyses the pathologies of reason – negatively, so to say – and dares an approach to a theory of justice – positively, so to say – that remains true to the analysis of society: thus, ethic freedom stems from a successful self-relation conditioned by mutual social recognition.«

The Ernst Bloch Prize is awarded every three years for an outstanding academic or literary work with a philosophical background by the Ernst Bloch Centre and the city of Ludwigshafen am Rhein.  

For more information about Axel Honneth's work, please visit the author's Foreign Rights website or contact the respective Rights Manager.