The appointment was proposed by the Department of Engineering Projects and the Office of the Vice-Principal for Social Responsibility, Cooperation and Sports, which have highlighted “her contribution to society and science thanks to her work, teaching and research in the field of ethics and political philosophy.”

To the award of this prize, the UPV has valued the academic career of Adela Cortina and her intellectual trajectory, as well as “her commitment to the construction of a fairest society from the perspective of moral philosophy.” The UPV has highlighted “her innovative and pioneering works in professional, political, managerial, bioethical and neuroethical ethics.”

Adela Cortina was born in Valencia in 1947. She studied a degree in Philosophy and Humanities in the UV, and in 1976 she defended her doctoral thesis about ‘Dios en la filosofía trascendental kantiana’ (God in Kantian transcendental philosophy).

A research grant allowed her to frequent the University of Munich, where she came into contact with critical rationalism, pragmatism and Marxist ethics, and more specifically, with the philosophy of Jürgen Habermas and Karl-Otto Apel.

When she returned to academic activity in Spain, she definitely directed her research interests towards ethics. In 1981 she joined the Department of Practical Philosophy of the UV.

In 1986 she obtained the Chair in Moral Philosophy. Her work has also focused on questions concerning economy, business, woman discrimination, war, ecology or genetics.

With her work ‘Ética de la razón cordial’ (Ethics of Friendly Reason), she won the Jovellanos International Essay Prize in 2007. She has also received the National Essay Prize in 2014 for her book ‘¿Para qué sirve realmente la ética?’ (What is ethics really useful for?). The award, provided with €20,000, is given by the Spanish Ministry of Education, Culture and Sports.

She had previously been proclaimed honorary doctor by the universities of Alcalá de Henares, Murcia, Cartagena and Deusto.