Christine Webb Receives Phi Beta Kappa’s 2026 Award in Science for “The Arrogant Ape”
WASHINGTON, DC — October 26, 2026 — The Phi Beta Kappa Society has awarded the 2026 Phi Beta Kappa Award in Science to “The Arrogant Ape: The Myth of Human Exceptionalism and Why It Matters” (Avery, 2025), by Christine Webb.
First offered in 1959, the Phi Beta Kappa Award in Science recognizes outstanding books by scientists written to illuminate aspects of science for a broad readership. The award encourages literate and scholarly interpretations of the physical and biological sciences and mathematics.
The Society will present the award on November 21, 2026, as part of the American Philosophical Society’s biannual meeting in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The presentation concludes a three-part series held in partnership with the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and the American Philosophical Society during Phi Beta Kappa’s 250th anniversary year. With earlier programs in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and Chicago, Illinois, the event series has recognized distinguished scholarship and engaged audiences in conversations about the importance of knowledge, intellectual inquiry, and the arts and sciences in American life.
From the publisher. Avery, an imprint of Penguin Random House: “Darwin considered humans one part of the web of life, not the apex of a natural hierarchy. Yet today many maintain that we are the most intelligent, virtuous, successful species that ever lived. This flawed thinking enables us to exploit the earth towards our own exclusive ends, throwing us into a perilous planetary imbalance. But is this view and way of life inevitable? ‘The Arrogant Ape’ shows that human exceptionalism is an ideology that relies more on human culture than our biology, more on delusion and faith than on evidence.
“Harvard primatologist Christine Webb has spent years researching the rich social, emotional, and cognitive lives of our closest living relatives. She exposes the ways that many scientific studies are biased against other species and reveals underappreciated complexities of nonhuman life—from the language of songbirds and prairie dogs, to the cultures of chimpanzees and reef fishes, to the acumen of plants and fungi. With compelling stories and fresh research she gives us a paradigm-shifting way of looking at other organisms on their own terms, one that is revolutionizing our perception both of them and of ourselves.”
Named one of The New York Times’ 100 Notable Books of 2025, “The Arrogant Ape” is Webb’s debut book and is currently being translated into 18 languages.
Dr. Christine Webb is an Assistant Professor in New York University's Department of Environmental Studies, where she is part of the Animal Studies program. She is a broadly trained primatologist with expertise in social behavior, culture, cognition and emotion. Her research also explores how contemporary norms and institutions shape scientific knowledge of animals and the environment, with a critical emphasis on human exceptionalism.
“Great science writing challenges what we think we know and invites us to see the world differently,” said Frederick M. Lawrence, Secretary and CEO of The Phi Beta Kappa Society. “Christine Webb’s “The Arrogant Ape” does precisely that. Her work asks us to reconsider assumptions about human superiority and to recognize the extraordinary complexity of the natural world, much of which we are still striving to understand. As Phi Beta Kappa celebrates its 250th anniversary, we are proud to recognize a book that reminds us why rigorous scientific inquiry, intellectual humility, and a willingness to question established ideas remain so essential.”
For more information on Phi Beta Kappa’s awards and programs, visit pbk.org or contact the Development, Events, & Awards Department at awards@pbk.org.
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About The Phi Beta Kappa Society
Phi Beta Kappa is the nation’s premier honor society, championing education in the arts and sciences for 250 years. We build a community where members can engage with peers and maintain their love of learning, and we use our platform to advocate for the arts and sciences, promoting their integral role in our communities, democracy, and institutions across the country.
We have chapters at more than 290 colleges and universities, nearly 50 associations and more than 700,000 members worldwide, including 17 U.S. presidents, 42 U.S. Supreme Court justices and more than 150 Nobel laureates. Our members apply their arts and sciences education to defy expectations and address society’s greatest challenges.
As we celebrate our 250th anniversary, we’re proud to be a place where knowledge inspires action. Visit www.pbk.org to join us in amplifying the power of knowledge and to build a thriving future of opportunity.