[ihsw]

The 'Nobel' as you put it encompasses multiple fields, most of which are based in sciences proven by empirical analysis. The 'Peace' prize has historically been controversial as contributions to peace are inherently political in nature.

Please don't disregard the other prizes: they represent real, quantifiable achievements. Peace is a simple result from political policies, but chemistry, physics, and medicine have a rich history of research and application.

Nobel Prize categories:

* Physics

* Chemistry

* Literature

* Peace

* Physiology

* Medicine

* Economic Sciences

[rdl]

The Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel is actually distinct from the "real" Nobels. It is also even more of a joke than the Peace Prize, often.

[ihsw]

I would rather not argue about 'economic sciences' at this time, that subject is usually far more politicized than 'peace.'

[rplacd]

The Prize in Literature's never free of the usual political recriminations either - there's a fine line between endorsing a message and acknowledging execution (and the fact that the ends an author sets plays an important role as well) that's never been fully articulated.