Johan Skytte Prize to Professor Brian Barry

The Skytte Foundation at Uppsala University, Sweden, has awarded Professor Brian Barry at Columbia University, New York, the Johan Skytte Prize in Political Science for 2001.

According to the Prize Committee Professor Barry has been given the prize for �his profound contribution to normative political theory performed with passion as well as clarity in the grand tradition from Enlightenment�.

Historically, liberal democracy has been advocated with arguments of utility and arguments of rights. Professor Barry is a rights theorist and has in learned works such as �Political Argument� and �Justice as Impartiality� made the theory of human rights more reflected and sophisticated. Regardless of consequences each individual should be treated with equal care and respect. From a moral point of view we are all equals. The state must not be partial to the benefit of anyone.

To maintain such a universal value is not uncontroversial to-day. In the name of equality between sexes and of multi-culuralism many groups ask for affirmative action. In his latest book �Culture and Equality� Barry opposes the idea if �group rights�. Individuals only have rights and these must not be violated for ethnical, religious nor ideological reasons.

Professor Barry�s international reputation is also due to his successful work as editor for prestigious magazines as �British Journal of Political Science� and �Ethics�.

The Johan Skytte Prize of 400 000 Swedish crowns (approximately 50,000 US dollars) is one of the largest in the social sciences and will be awarded at a solemn ceremony in Uppsala on Sept 29, 2001.