A doctoral dissertation titled The Cognitive Status of Metaphors marked the 1970 academic debut of Avishai Margalit, who earned his Ph.D. summa cum laude from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. This work served as a foundation for a career that transitioned from the philosophy of language and logic toward the study of social, political, and cultural themes.
Academic Trajectory
Margalit began his formal studies in 1960, majoring in philosophy and economics. He completed his B.A. in 1963 and an M.A. thesis concerning Karl Marx’s theory of labor in 1965. Following a period as a student at The Queen's College, Oxford, he returned to the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. He rose through the faculty ranks to become the Shulman Professor of Philosophy, eventually attaining professor emeritus status. His international presence included roles as a visiting scholar at Harvard University, a fellow at the Max Planck Institute, and as the George F. Kennan Professor at the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton.
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In his research, Margalit differentiates between explicating philosophy—centered on conceptual analysis—and exemplifying philosophy, which prioritizes real-life historical or literary instances. He frequently utilizes the latter approach to construct his arguments. Rather than relying on artificial scenarios, he examines complex historical events to derive philosophical insights. His book, The Ethics of Memory, applies this method to investigate moral responsibilities associated with historical recollection. His earlier work, Idolatry, co-authored with Moshe Halbertal, explores how the critique of idolatry provides a framework for understanding modern ideologies.
Public Engagement and Writing
Beyond the lecture hall, Margalit participated in the founding of the political party Moked in 1973 and the Israeli Council for Israeli-Palestinian Peace in 1975. He was also a member of the initial leadership group of Peace Now and served on the board of B'Tselem. Since 1984, he has contributed essays to the New York Review of Books, profiling intellectual figures such as Baruch Spinoza, Martin Buber, and Yeshayahu Leibowitz, as well as political leaders including Yitzhak Rabin and Shimon Peres. A collection of these pieces appears in his 1998 book, Views in Review: Politics and Culture in the State of the Jews.
Fast facts
- Born: 1939, Afula
- Citizenship: Israel, United States, Germany
- Academic Home: Hebrew University of Jerusalem
- Israel Prize Winner: 2010
- Key Publication: The Decent Society
- Language Proficiency: English, Hebrew
- Member: Israel Academy of Sciences and Humanities
- Research focus: Social and political philosophy
Questions readers ask
What is Margalit's primary contribution to political philosophy?
He argues that while political philosophy traditionally emphasizes the concept of a just society, it must also address the requirements of a decent society, defined by the absence of institutional humiliation.
Which major awards has he received?
He is the recipient of the EMET Prize (2007), the Israel Prize (2010), the Dr. Leopold Lucas Prize (2011), the Philosophical Book Prize (2012), and the Ernst Bloch Award (2012).
Achievements
- Israel Prize — 2010
- Dr. Leopold Lucas Prize — 2011
- Philosophical Book Prize — 2012
- The EMET Prize for Art, Science and Culture — 2007
- Held posts at Princeton University, Harvard University and University of Oxford
