The Library of Congress announced today that philosopher Martha C. Nussbaum will receive the 2026 John W. Kluge Prize for Achievement in the Study of Humanity.
Nussbaum is the Ernst Freund Distinguished Service Professor of Law and Ethics at the University of Chicago, where she is appointed in both the law school and philosophy department. She also holds associate appointments in the classics department, the divinity school and the political science department.
"In addition to the breadth and depth of her scholarship, Martha Nussbaum exemplifies a spirit of intellectual openness and a willingness to engage with thinkers with vastly different opinions," Acting Librarian of Congress Robert R. Newlen said. "Her student roundtables at the University of Chicago do just that, bringing together those with varied ideological viewpoints and encouraging them to explore ideas that may not match their own."
Nussbaum is widely known for her work on ancient Greek and Roman philosophy, feminist and political philosophy, and philosophy and the arts. Along with economist Amartya Sen, she developed the capability approach, which considers human achievement and happiness through the perspectives of wellbeing and agency, rather than the accumulation of possessions or commodities. More recently, she has also extensively discussed the lives of animals and what is necessary for them to thrive.
Nussbaum earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from New York University, and master's degree and doctorate from Harvard University. Prior to her tenure at University of Chicago, she taught at Harvard; Brown University, where she served as a research adviser at the World Institute for Development Economics Research in Helsinki; and Oxford University.
Natalia Molina, who serves on the Library's Scholars Council and is the dean's professor of American studies and ethnicity at the University of Southern California, called Nussbaum's work "formidable."
"She has been deeply influential in articulating the value of the humanities," Molina said.
The author of more than 25 books and 500 articles, Nussbaum's subject matter is vast, including animal rights, opera and the role of emotions in politics. Her books include "Women and Human Development: The Capabilities Approach" (2000); "The Fragility of Goodness: Luck and Ethics in Greek Tragedy and Philosophy" (2001); and "Creating Capabilities: The Human Development Approach" (2011). Most recently, she has published "Justice for Animals: Our Collective Responsibility" (2023) and "The Tenderness of Silent Minds: Benjamin Britten and his War Requiem" (2024). Her latest book, "The Republic of Love: Opera and Political Freedom" (2026), explores the relationship between opera and political freedom movements.
For her scholarly work, Nussbaum has won many of the top honors in her field, including the Holberg Prize from the Government of Norway, the Kyoto Prize in Arts and Philosophy, and the Berggruen Prize.
The Kluge Prize recognizes individuals whose outstanding scholarship in the humanities and social sciences has shaped public affairs and civil society. Awarded to a scholar every two years, the international prize highlights the value of researchers who communicate beyond the scholarly community and have had a major impact on social and political issues. The prize comes with a $500,000 award. Additional funds from the Library's Kluge endowment, which funds the award, are being invested in Kluge Center programming.
Nussbaum joins a prestigious group of past prize winners that includes ethicist Kwame Anthony Appiah, historians George Chauncey and Drew Gilpin Faust, justice and democracy scholar Danielle Allen, philosopher Jürgen Habermas, former president of Brazil Fernando Henrique Cardoso, and scholar of African American history John Hope Franklin, among others.
Nussbaum was selected from a short list of finalists following a request for nominations from scholars and leaders all over the world and a three-stage review process by experts inside and outside the Library.
The Kluge Prize is administered by the Kluge Center in the Library of Congress. The Kluge Center's mission, as established in 2000, is to "invigorate the connection between thought and action," bridging the gap between scholarship and policymaking.