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Following a thorough-going, worldwide selection process that began two years ago with a solicitation for nominations from over 2000 leading scholars, one of the world's greatest living philosophers, Leszek Kolakowski, has been named the first winner of a prestigious new lifetime achievement award deliberately designed to honor work not covered by the Nobel Prizes, i.e., in the humanities and social sciences, broadly defined. The announcement was made on November 4 by Dr. James H. Billington, the Librarian of Congress, who had launched the award project with support from the philanthropist John W. Kluge.

The award was presented on November 5 at the Library's John W. Kluge Center, a research institute that serves as a catalyst for dialogue between the world's pre-eminent scholars in the humanities and social sciences, on the one hand, and political leaders and lawmakers on the other.

As explained in the mission statement of the Kluge Center, "The John W. Kluge Prize is designed deliberately to reward work in the wide range of disciplines not covered by the Nobel Prizes - including history, philosophy, politics, anthropology, sociology, religion, criticism in the arts and humanities, and linguistics. The Kluge Prize is international; the recipient may be of any nationality, writing in any language; and the award will be at the financial level of the Nobel awards", i.e., one million dollars.

In announcing the award, The Librarian of Congress, Dr. James H. Billington, commented: "Very rarely can one identify a deep, reflective thinker who has had such a wide range of inquiry and demonstrable importance to major political events in his own time. Out of deep scholarship and relentless inquiry, Leszek Kolakowski made clear from within the Soviet system the intellectual bankruptcy of the Marxist ideology, and the necessity of freedom, tolerance of diversity and the search for transcendence for reestablishing individual dignity. His voice was fundamental for the fate of Poland, and influential in Europe as a whole. In addition to his sustained anti-dogmatic philosophical inquiries, he writes essays that are readable, provocative, and sometimes ironic and humorous. With charm, resourcefulness and gentle self-mockery, he raises questions about the sometimes mindless modernity of contemporary Europe and North America. He is a true humanist: philosopher, intellectual historian and cultural critic. Throughout his creative life he has asked big questions with the kind of intellectual honesty and depth that we have sought to honor with the John W. Kluge Prize."

For a full biography of Leszek Kolakowski and further information on the John W. Kluge Prize visit http://www.loc.gov/today/pr/2003/03-195.html.