Sissela Bok

Biography

Bok received her B.A. and M.A. in psychology from George Washington University in 1957 and 1958, and her Ph.D. in philosophy from Harvard University in 1970. She worked at Simmons University (1971–72), the Harvard-MIT Program in Health Sciences and Technology (1975–82), Brandeis University (1985–92), and the Harvard Center for Population and Development Studies at the Harvard School of Public Health (1993–2022).

Bok is married to Derek Bok, former president (1971–1991, interim 2006–2007) of Harvard. Her daughter, Hilary Bok, is also a philosopher. Her brother, Jan Myrdal, was a political writer and journalist. Her sister Kaj Fölster (1936) is an author, politician and social scientist, who lived and worked many years in Germany and received the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany in 2014.

Bok was awarded the Orwell Award in 1978 for Lying: Moral Choice in Public and Private Life.

Bok was awarded the Courage of Conscience award on 24 April 1991 "for her contributions to peacemaking strategies in the tradition of her mother."