The award is given to works that are recognised as effective contributions to the research literature of their field.
Mota explains that receiving the award filled him with the same pride and joy he felt after successfully defending his dissertation last year.
“Although I was already proud of my own work and was aware of the effort I had put into making it as good as I could, receiving this recognition made me once more believe that it was all worth it, and that I must do my best to keep developing philosophy with genuine interest and personal commitment,” he says.
A new understanding
In his dissertation, "Deep Disagreements and Power: Communication Under Oppression" Mota proposes a novel way of understanding deep disagreements.
He focuses on the political, social, psychological, and material aspects of disagreement, going beyond what philosophers have previously proposed.
“My work consists of an analysis of what goes on when people disagree over very important beliefs which structure their lives as a whole. This means that I offer explanations for how these structuring beliefs turn out to be so important for us and why it is so hard to come to an agreement with one another,” Mota explains.
A supportive community
Despite his young age, Mota has already accumulated considerable experience in the academic world. He says that his best academic experiences come from his time at UiO, and he particularly highlights the environment he encountered at the Department of Philosophy, Classics, History of Art and Ideas.
“Without this environment, I would not have had the resources to develop a piece of work that I was satisfied with and proud of,” he adds.
By “resources,” Mota emphasises that he does not only mean material support, but also perspectives from a diverse academic collegiate, the respect, freedom, and time he was given during his time at UiO.
“Being treated as a true peer by my colleagues definitely shaped my outlook on myself as a researcher capable of contributing to our knowledge-building mission,” he says.
The King’s Gold Medal will be presented on 7 October 2026, during the University of Oslo’s Annual Celebration.
On the same day, Mota will deliver his Gold Medal Lecture, which is based on his dissertation. The lecture is open to the public. Read more about the lecture and how to attend.