The North American Kant Society (NAKS) was founded in 1985 at the Sixth International Kant Congress, held at the Pennsylvania State University. The goal of the society is to further the study of Kantian thought and scholarship within a variety of traditions and disciplines.

For this purpose, we organize multiple activities (regional study groups, APA meetings, publications, prizes, etc.), that aim to help students and scholars at different career stages interact and share their work in an atmosphere of both cordiality and philosophical rigor. 

We are pleased to continue the following initiatives:

• Markus Herz Student Essay Prize.  This prize is awarded annually to the best graduate student paper presented at one of our regional Study Group meetings.

• Wilfrid Sellars Junior Scholar Essay Prize.  This prize is awarded annually for the best essay on any topic that demonstrates the continued relevance of Kant’s philosophy. The goal is to provide recognition to and support for young scholars in the early stages of their careers. Junior is defined as fewer than ten years from the receipt of the PhD (or highest degree earned) on the day that submissions are due.
   
• NAKS Senior Scholar Prize.  This prize is awarded for an outstanding paper or book (paper and book prizes offered on alternating years) dealing with any aspect of Kant's or Kantian thought.  This award represents the capstone of our architectonic system of prizes, which includes the Markus Herz Prize for graduate students (started in 2000) and the Wilfrid Sellars Junior Scholar Prize (first awarded in 2010). Senior is defined as at least ten years from the receipt of the Ph.D. (or highest degree earned) on the day that nominations are due.
  
  
• Electronic Newsletter. Our quarterly newsletter is now electronic. Members can find current and prior issues in the "Members Only" section of the website.
  
  
• The Submission Policy for papers submitted to NAKS Study Groups. Everyone who submits a paper to any of the NAKS Study Groups must be a current member of NAKS. This change is modeled on current APA policy, and is meant to help maintain the membership of our organization.
  
  
• Updated Bibliography. Steve Naragon updates the NAKS bibliographer regularly; please do take advantage of this great resources, available on the members' section of the website.

Kantian philosophy and scholarship in North America are steadily growing in influence and sheer quantity alike. The quality of the work being done is truly outstanding. At NAKS we are very proud of these facts and make every effort to promote and celebrate them. Please feel free to contact us if you have any suggestions or concerns. We look forward to your participation in our society.

Andrew Chignell, President-Secretary
Huaping Lu-Adler, Vice President