Ingrid Robeyns, professor of philosophy at Utrecht University and the Chair in Ethics of Institutions at the university’s Ethics Institute, has been awarded the Stevin Prize, one of the most prestigious and generous prizes administered by the Dutch Research Council (NWO).

The Stevin Prize is an award and honor for “researchers with international reputations who have exceptional achievements in the area of knowledge exchange and impact for society.” It is named for mathematician and scientist Simon Stevin (1548-1620).

The prize is a bronze statue of Stevin and 1.5 million euros which the winner may spend “as they wish as long as the expenditure is related to academic research and activities related to societal impact.”

The prize announcement states:

Prof. Dr. Ingrid Robeyns investigates how justice, wealth and well-being can be distributed more fairly. Combining philosophy, economics and political theory, her work advocates ‘limitarianism’—the idea that extreme personal wealth is morally and socially harmful. She argues for an upper limit on wealth and develops policy proposals to support it. Her excellent research provides concrete solutions to inequality and the institutions of our social contract, as well as the challenges posed by democratic decline. Through her sharp analysis, organisational skills and public visibility, she demonstrates that philosophy can drive real change. 

There is further information about the prize and Professor Robeyns’ work here.