These words, referring to a fable written by William Saroyan, were part of Ian Hacking's speech of thanks upon being presented the Holberg International Memorial Prize by HRH Crown Princess Mette-Marit in Håkonshallen in Norway on 25 November 2009.
Ian Hacking is Professor in Philosophy at University of Toronto and Collège de France.
This year is the sixth time that the Holberg Memorial Prize is awarded for outstanding scholarly work in the arts and humanities, social science, law and theology. The value of the prize is 700.500 USD (NOK 4.5 million/500.000 Euro).
Excerpts from the citation of the Holberg Prize Academic Committee:
“Throughout his career Hacking has addressed the central philosophical question of scientific realism: whether the theoretical entities postulated by the sciences—from “electron” to “multiple personality disorder”—are real in the same way as everyday objects.” (…) “His recent work ranges across topics such as obesity, race, and autism, as he continues to address the problem of human kinds. Ian Hacking’s work reverberates throughout the humanities and social sciences, reframing our understanding of the interactions between the natural and the social worlds.”
The Holberg Prize, which was established by the Norwegian Parliament in 2003, is awarded annually by the Board of the Ludvig Holberg Memorial Fund. Holberg Prize Laureates: Ian Hacking (2009), Fredric R. Jameson (2008), Ronald Dworkin (2007), Shmuel N. Eisenstadt (2006), Jürgen Habermas (2005), Julia Kristeva (2004).