Martha C. Nussbaum, the Ernst Freund Distinguished Service Professor of Law and Ethics at the University of Chicago, has received the 2026 John W. Kluge Prize for Achievement in the Study of Humanity from the Library of Congress. Presented biennially, the award recognizes and celebrates work of the highest quality and greatest impact that advances understanding of the human experience.
Dr. Nussbaum is widely known for her work on ancient Greek and Roman philosophy, feminist and political philosophy, and philosophy and the arts. Throughout her career, Dr. Nussbaum has authored 30 books, edited 27 books, and written more than 500 articles. Some of her most recent publications include The Republic of Love: Opera and Political Freedom (Oxford University Press, 2026), The Tenderness of Silent Minds: Benjamin Britten and his War Requiem (Oxford University Press, 2024), and Justice for Animals: Our Collective Responsibility (Simon & Schuster, 2023).
A faculty member at the University of Chicago since 1995, Dr. Nussbaum holds primary appointments in the department of philosophy and the Law School and associate appointments in the department of classics, the Divinity School, and the department of political science. She is also a member of the university’s committee on Southern Asian studies. Dr. Nussbaum previously taught at Harvard University, Brown University, and the University of Oxford.
Dr. Nussbaum holds a bachelor’s degree from New York University and both a master’s degree and a Ph.D. from Harvard University.