Award BBC Reith Lectures

MacArthur Fellowship (2006)

American Philosophical Society (2012)

Lewis Thomas Prize for Writing about Science (2014)

Rhodes Scholar (1987)

Massachusetts Governor's Award in the Humanities (2016)

Newsweek Magazine's 20 Most Influential South Asians (2004)

American Philosophical Society (2001)

Royal Society of Literature (Fellow, 2017)

American Academy of Arts & Sciences (1995)

American Academy of Arts and Letters (2008)

National Humanities Medal (2012)

Ralph J. Bunche Award (1997)

Herskovits Award (1993)

Anisfield-Wolf Book Award (1993)

The National Institute of Social Sciences Gold Medal (2021)

Arthur Ross Book Award (2007)

North American Society for Social Philosophy Annual Book Award (1996)

John W. Kluge Prize for Achievement in the Study of Humanity (2024)

Don M. Randel Award for Humanistic Studies (2024)

Joseph B. and Toby Gittler Prize (2008)

Knight Bachelor (2023)

Order of the British Empire (Commander, 2013)

Royal Academician (2011)

Royal Institute of British Architects (Honorary Fellow, 2016)

Turner Prize (2003)

Erasmus Prize (2021)

Royal Television Society award (2005, 2017)

South Bank Sky Arts Award (2012)