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US philosopher Michael Sandel awarded top Spanish prize
MADRID, May 30, 2018 (BSS/AFP) – US philosopher Michael Sandel, a fierce
critic of the influence of the business world on society, was awarded on
Wednesday Spain’s prestigious Princess of Asturias award for social sciences,
with the jury describing him as “one of today’s foremost intellectuals”.
In a statement, the jury hailed Sandel’s “exemplary body of work on the
foundations that regulate liberal democracy, as well as the defence of public
virtues and the diverse ways of conceiving good in our societies”.
“In addition to his public vision of justice, he stands out for his
criticism of the excesses of the logic of the market and for promoting debate
aimed at solving major moral dilemmas,” it added.
The jury also praised the 65-year-old Harvard University professor for
taking political philosophy beyond academic circles and making it accessible
to the general public on television and online.
Sandel’s course “Justice” is the first Harvard course to be made freely
available online and on television and has been viewed by tens of millions of
people around the world, according to his profile on the university’s
website.
His writings on justice, ethics, democracy and markets have been translated
into 27 languages.
A Harvard professor since 1980, Sandel’s method is not to lecture from on
high but to lead a kind of Socratic debate in which members of the audience
tackle moral conundrums from opposing positions.
Spain’s 50,000-euro ($58,000) award for international cooperation is one of
eight prizes handed out yearly by a foundation named after Spain’s Princess
Leonor.
Other categories include the arts — US film director Martin Scorsese won
it this year — sport and literature.
The awards are handed out in October in the northern Spanish city of
Oviedo, capital of the Asturias region, in a glittering ceremony that is
broadcast live on Spanish television.
BSS/AFP/RY/1815 hrs