Philosopher Felipe De Brigard Awarded 2026 Lebowitz Prize

The American Philosophical Association (APA) and the Phi Beta Kappa Society (ΦBK) have awarded Professor of Philosophy and Psychology & Neuroscience Felipe De Brigard with the 2026 Dr. Martin R. Lebowitz and Eve Lewellis Lebowitz Prize for Philosophical Achievement and Contribution.  

Established in 2012 by a generous bequest from Eve Lewellis Lebowitz in honor of her late husband, Martin R. Lebowitz — a distinguished philosophical critic — the prize recognizes two philosophers who hold contrasting views on a significant philosophical question of current interest. Through the annual Lebowitz Symposium and related public programming, the prize promotes philosophical inquiry while demonstrating the value of reasoned dialogue in exploring complex ideas.  

De Brigard’s topic for the 2026 Lebowitz Prize — along with his counterpart award recipient, Sarah Robins of Purdue University — was "The Distinctiveness of Memory." Their dialogue explores a fundamental question at the intersection of philosophy, psychology, and neuroscience: What distinguishes memory from other cognitive capacities?  

While De Brigard questions whether memory can be defined by a single distinguishing characteristic, Robins argues that it remains a distinctive feature of human cognition. Together, their contrasting perspectives embody the spirit of intellectual exchange at the heart of the Lebowitz Prize. They will present their views and engage in discussion at the annual Lebowitz Symposium, held during an upcoming American Philosophical Association divisional meeting, and on an episode of the podcast “Key Conversations with Phi Beta Kappa.”  

Awarded annually by ΦBK in conjunction with the APA, the Lebowitz Prize recognizes outstanding achievement in the field of philosophy. Both recipients will receive an honorarium of $25,000.