Which Nobel Laureate in Literature refused the prize in 1964, only for it to still be recorded in his name?
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: B
Explanation
Answer: Jean-Paul Sartre.
Explanation:
The French philosopher and writer Jean-Paul Sartre was selected for the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1964. However, he refused to accept it. Sartre believed that a writer should not allow himself to become an "institution," and that accepting the award would compromise his independence and the integrity of his writing. According to the rules of the Nobel Committee, even if an individual declines to accept the award, their name remains officially recorded in the list of winners.
Additional Points:
Existentialism: Sartre was a leading proponent of this philosophical school of thought.
Bob Dylan: He won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 2016. He initially offered no reaction but later accepted the award.
Boris Pasternak: In 1958, he, too, was compelled to decline the Nobel Prize in Literature under pressure from the Soviet government.
Potential Exam Questions and Answers:
Question: Who is the only individual to have declined a Nobel Prize voluntarily?
Answer: Jean-Paul Sartre.
Question: Who declined the Nobel Peace Prize in 1973?
Answer: Le Duc Tho (Vietnam).