Michael Sandel Wins $1 Million Berggruen Prize for Philosophy & Culture

Harvard Government Professor Michael J. Sandel has argued before thousands of students in his popular course “Justice” for the redistribution of wealth and esteem — and now he has the chance to do it himself.

Sandel, who was named the Berggruen Institute’s 2025 laureate for Philosophy & Culture on Tuesday, won a $1 million prize from the institute, which wrote in a statement that the award “is given annually to individuals whose ideas have profoundly shaped human self-understanding and advancement in a rapidly changing world.”

The prize, which was established in 2016 by philanthropist Nicolas Berggruen, is awarded for lifelong intellectual achievement that brings together philosophical, practical, and cultural impact, according to the institute's website. Past recipients include former Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Partners In Health founder Paul E. Farmer, who held Harvard’s highest faculty rank as a University Professor.

The winner is chosen annually from nominees across different fields, geographical regions, and practice, “including internationally recognized philosophers, economists, authors, and Nobel Prize laureates,” the website states.

Chair of the Berggruen Prize jury Yuk Hui wrote in a press release that Sandel’s work has left a “profound mark on the global intellectual landscape.”

“His critiques of neoliberalism, meritocratic ideology, and populism speak to the most urgent questions of our time,” he added.

Berggruen, who serves as chairman and founder of his instittue, praised Sandel’s “significant body of work” for its impact.

“Given our world in flux, his illumination of what it means to be a good human and his infusion of ethics and reasoning into public discourse are necessary,” Berggruen wrote in the press release.

“Throughout a decades-long career spent at Harvard University, Sandel has striven to reinvigorate political discourse and renew civic life by imbuing both with morality and virtue,” the press release stated. “The arc of his philosophical interests bends from scholarly work on theories of justice early in his career to an increasingly urgent consideration of practical matters of politics, economics, and the need to reason together across our differences.”

Sandel’s widely known class “Justice” was the first Harvard course made freely available online and has amassed over 40 million views. The popular class was brought back in fall 2024 amid rising political polarization and concerns over lack of constructive dialogue between divisive views on campus.

Sandel’s work goes beyond Harvard lectures, spanning to research and books investigating how economic and social systems shape society. His publications include the global bestseller Justice: What’s the Right Thing to Do?, What Money Can’t Buy, and The Tyranny of Merit.

Sandel’s works have received international recognition and been translated into more than 30 languages.

Sandel plans to dedicate some of the award to Babayan Story Project, an international storytelling and civic education initiative for youths that he started with his wife Kiku Adatto. Otherwise, he has yet to decide how to spend the award, according to Sandel in an interview with TIME.

Sandel will receive the Bergguen Prize at a celebration in Cambridge in the spring of 2026.

—Staff writer Ellen P. Cassidy can be reached at ellen.cassidy@thecrimson.com.

—Staff writer Catherine Jeon can be reached at catherine.jeon@thecrimson.com. Follow her on X at @cathj186.