The judging panel, comprised of distinguished scholars, has chosen the following publications to be included in this year’s shortlist for the prize:
- Manuel Almagro (2025), The Rise of Polarization: Affects, Politics, and Philosophy (Routledge)
- Jonathan Birch (2024), The Edge of Sentience: Risk and Precaution in Humans, Other Animals, and AI (Oxford University Press)
- Peter Godfrey-Smith (2024), Living on Earth: Life, Consciousness and the Making of the Natural World (William Collins)
- Jules Holroyd (2025), Oppressive Praise (Oxford University Press)
- Adam Lovett (2024), Democratic Failures and the Ethics of Democracy (University of Pennsylvania Press)
Commenting on the excellence of these works, the Chair of the Judging Panel Professor Constantine Sandis (Director of Lex Academic and Visiting Professor of Philosophy at the University of Hertfordshire) remarked:
“Every book on this list is a first class piece of transdisciplinary philosophical research. The panel was hugely impressed with the quality, originality, accessibility, and impact of these five books. My congratulations to all of the finalists.”
The winning title will be announced in a ceremony on 29th October 2025.
The 2025 Judging Panel
Chair: Prof. Constantine Sandis (Lex Academic, Hertfordshire)
Prof. Lisa Bortolotti (Birmingham)
Prof. Jude Browne (Cambridge)
Prof. Francesca Cacucci (UCL)
Prof. Lambros Malafouris (Oxford).
Dr Alexis Papazoglou (LSE)
Prof. Barry Smith (Institute of Philosophy, London)
About the Prize
The Nayef Al-Rodhan International Prize in Transdisciplinary Philosophy brings together books that transcend academic boundaries, furthering our understanding of the key challenges facing the world today, and which may face us in the future. In particular, we welcome submissions falling under the following categories:
- Philosophy of the Future of Humanity
- Philosophy of Frontier Risks and Disruptive Technologies
- Philosophy of Global Governance and Transcultural Understanding
- Philosophy of Human Nature and Scientific Innovation
- Philosophy of Transdisciplinary Methodologies
The transdisciplinary panel of highly respected academics and practitioners assessed submissions for academic merit and their ability to demonstrate rigorous, original and high-quality transdisciplinary research in accessible and engaging formats. Last year’s prize was awarded to Dr. Mazviita Chirimuuta for her book The Brain Abstracted: Simplification in the
History and Philosophy of Neuroscience published by MIT Press.
- Get more information on the Nayef Al-Rodhan International Prize in Transdisciplinary Philosophy
- Read Prof. Al-Rodhan’s Manifesto for Transdisciplinary Philosophy
About The Royal Institute of Philosophy
The Royal Institute of Philosophy was formally established in 1925 and brought together an eclectic group of women and men from the law, philosophy, business, and politics to join academics from a range of disciplines including biology, mathematics, classics, and literature.
Receiving its Royal Charter in 1947, the Royal Institute has continued to deliver philosophy to those interested in and perplexed by the problems of modern life and to offer nationwide opportunities for the leading exponents of the various branches of Philosophy to share their thinking with members of the public.
To arrange editorials and interviews with those involved in the book prize, please contact: NARbookprize@royalinstitutephilosophy.org
About Professor Nayef Al-Rodhan
Professor Nayef Al-Rodhan FRSA is a philosopher, neuroscientist, and geostrategist who has written 25 books and more than 300 articles. He was educated at the Mayo Clinic, Yale University, and Harvard University. Professor Al-Rodhan is an Honorary Fellow of St Antony’s College, University of Oxford and Head of the Geopolitics & Global Futures Department at the Geneva Centre for Security Policy. His research focuses on transdisciplinarity, neuro-techno-philosophy, and the future of philosophy, with a particular emphasis on the interplay between philosophy, neuroscience, strategic culture, applied history, geopolitics, disruptive technologies, and international relations, and global security. His most recent peer-reviewed academic article titled ‘Symbiotic Realism: a transdisciplinary approach to understanding international relations’
was published in May 2025 by Frontiers in Political Science. A full list of his books and articles may be found at www.sustainablehistory.com.