Cartwright Wins Frontiers of Knowledge Award

Nancy Cartwright, professor of philosophy at Durham University and the University of California, San Diego, has been selected as the recipient of the 2026 Foundation Frontiers of Knowledge Award in the Humanities. The award, sponsored by the Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria (BBVA) Foundation, was given to Professor Cartwright in recognition of “her use of philosophy to strengthen scientific rationality and ground the adoption of effective, evidence-based public policies.” The award includes a prize of 400,000 euros (approximately $464,000). From the award announcement: For five decades now, Cartwright’s seminal work has “built a bridge between philosophy and the actual practice of science” through her innovative vision of such key concepts as causality and the laws of nature. In her writings, the philosopher brings a perspective to what science is and how it can be applied that moves beyond certain influential notions—like the idea that science is merely a combination of theory and…