Celebrating Professor Nancy Cartwright’s career and global award for outstanding contribution to philosophy

Honouring an extraordinary career

The international award recognises Professor Cartwright’s influential contributions to the philosophy of science over more than five decades.

It honours research that has transformed understanding of how scientific knowledge is created, tested and applied in the real world.

The celebration, hosted by our Philosophy Department, recognised not only Professor Cartwright’s academic achievements but also her lasting contribution to the University and the wider research community.

Influential research

Professor Cartwright is one of the world’s most influential philosophers of science.

Throughout her career, she has challenged traditional assumptions about how science works, arguing that scientific laws and theories are often more complex and context-dependent than commonly believed.

Her landmark books, including How the Laws of Physics Lie and The Dappled World, helped reshape debates about causality, evidence and the nature of scientific knowledge.

Her work has shown that different scientific disciplines use different methods and models to understand the world, rather than all knowledge being reducible to a single set of universal laws.

After beginning her career in the philosophy of physics, Professor Cartwright expanded her research to focus on the social sciences, economics and public policy.

Her work has explored how evidence can be used more effectively to support decision-making and improve outcomes for society.

At Durham, she co-directs the Centre for Humanities Engaging Science and Society (CHESS), where she has helped strengthen collaboration between researchers across disciplines.

Global impact

Professor Cartwright’s influence extends far beyond philosophy.

Her research on evidence, causation and policy has informed work in areas including education, child protection, international development and social care.

The Frontiers of Knowledge Award highlights the importance of her work at a time when societies face increasingly complex challenges and evidence-based decision-making is more important than ever.

Professor Cartwright is a Fellow of the British Academy and the Academy of Social Sciences and has received numerous international honours throughout her career.

The latest award adds to a distinguished record of achievement and recognises her continuing impact on both scholarship and public life.

The celebration provided an opportunity for colleagues, collaborators and friends to recognise a remarkable career dedicated to advancing knowledge, encouraging interdisciplinary research and demonstrating how philosophy can help improve the world around us.

Find out more 

• Learn more about the work of Professor Nancy Cartwright.
• Visit Professor Cartwright’s personal website.
• Read the full story from BBVA Foundation.
• In the BBVA Foundation video below Nancy’s profile is shown at (57:31) and her speech at (1:34:56)
• Interested in studying at Durham? Explore our undergraduate and postgraduate courses.

Our Department of Philosophy is ranked 39th in the QS World University Rankings by Subject 2026 and seventh in the UK in the Complete University Guide 2026. Visit our Philosophy webpages for more information on our undergraduate and postgraduate programmes.