Winner of the 2020/2021 Mark Blaug Prize in Philosophy and Economics


We are pleased to announce that the 2020/2021 Mark Blaug Prize in Philosophy and Economics has been awarded to

Malte Dold and Alexa Stanton
(Pomona College)

for their article

I Choose for Myself, Therefore I Am:
The Contours of Existentialist Behavioral Economics

The editors of the Erasmus Journal for Philosophy and Economics congratulate the authors on their excellent paper and wish them much success in their future work.


Praise from the judges

An exciting sketch of an “existentialist” extension/revision of behavioural economics.
—Uskali Mäki 

Very well-written and demonstrates excellent understanding of the relevant literatures. Some interesting, creative applications, and a thought-provoking argument.
—Joseph Mazor

This is a clear exposition of connections between historically distant literatures that has real potential value.
—Don Ross

Very well grounded in both literatures that it expertly brings together. Clear summary of both literatures, nicely illustrated. The two literatures really are brought into a genuine conversation, with the paper brimming with rich and provocative conjectures and insights.
—Christopher Clarke

About the winners

Malte Dold is an assistant professor in the economics department at Pomona College in California. He holds a master’s degree in Philosophy and Economics from the University of Bayreuth, and received his PhD in Economics from the University of Freiburg. His research lies at the intersection of behavioral economics, philosophy of economics, and history of economic thought.

Alexa Stanton graduated from Pomona College magna cum laude in 2020, with a major in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics (PPE), and a minor in Computer Science. In her thesis, Alexa examined the links between existentialism and behavioral economics, and how these links can inform perspectives on artificially intelligent prediction algorithms.

About the Prize

The Mark Blaug Prize is intended to promote and reward the work of junior scholars in philosophy and economics. It is named in honour of Professor Mark Blaug (1927–2011), a founder of the field of philosophy and economics whose generosity and commitment to junior scholars was recognized by all who knew him. The prize includes a cash sum of 500 Euros.

The 2022/2023 Mark Blaug Prize is now open for submissions

We encourage submissions from young scholars: qualifying submissions will be automatically considered for the next Prize to be awarded in 2024. For details on the prize and how to enter, visit the EJPE website.