Editing Committee for Skeptical Inquiry (section)

===In Praise of Reason Award===

"The In Praise of Reason Award is given in recognition of distinguished contributions in the use of critical inquiry, scientific evidence, and reason in evaluating claims to knowledge." This is the highest award presented by CSI and is often presented at the CSIcon conferences.<ref name="Bill Nye PRA">{{cite web|title=Bill Nye Wins In Praise of Reason Award|url=http://www.csicop.org/news/show/bill_nye_wins_in_praise_of_reason_award|website=Skeptical Inquirer|date=January 20, 2012|publisher=CSICOP|access-date=19 August 2016|archive-date=September 17, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160917133641/http://www.csicop.org/news/show/bill_nye_wins_in_praise_of_reason_award|url-status=live}}</ref>

{| class="wikitable sortable"
! Year
! Person
! Notes
|-
|rowspan=1|1982
|[[Martin Gardner]]
|Awarded in Atlanta, Georgia, "In honor of his heroic efforts in defense of reason and the dignity of the skeptical attitude."<ref>{{cite journal|title=CSICOP Council in Atlanta: Police Psychics, Local Groups|journal=The Skeptical Inquirer|date=1983|volume=7|issue=3|page=13}}</ref>
|-
|rowspan=1|1984
|[[Sidney Hook]]
|Presented at [[Stanford University]], Palo Alto, California, by CSICOP Chairman Paul Kurtz.<ref name="Hook award 1985">{{cite journal|title=Scientific Facts and Fictions: On the Trail Of Paranormal Beliefs at CSICOP '84|journal=The Skeptical Inquirer|date=1985|volume=9|issue=3|page=197}}</ref>
|-
|rowspan=1|1985
|[[Antony Flew]]
|Awarded in London by Paul Kurtz, "[I]n recognition of his long-standing contributions to the use of methods of critical inquiry, scientific evidence, and reason in evaluating claims to knowledge and solving social problems."<ref>{{cite journal|title='In Praise of Reason' Award Goes to Antony Flew|journal=The Skeptical Inquirer|date=1985|volume=10|issue=2|pages=102, 104}}</ref>
|-
|rowspan=1|1986
|[[Stephen Jay Gould]]
|Presented at the University of Colorado, Boulder "In recognition of his long-standing contributions to the use of the methods of critical inquiry, scientific evidence, and reason in evaluating claims to knowledge and solving social problems".<ref name="1986 Awards">{{cite journal|title=CSICOP Awards|journal=The Skeptical Inquirer|date=1986|volume=11|issue=1|page=14}}</ref>
|-
|rowspan=1|1987
|[[Carl Sagan]]
|Pasadena, California CSICOP awards banquet<ref name="Pasadena 1987">{{cite journal|last1=Shore|first1=Lys Ann|title=Controversies in Science and Fringe Science: From Animals and SETI to Quackery and SHC|journal=The Skeptical Inquirer|date=1987|volume=12|issue=1|pages=12–13}}</ref>
|-
|rowspan=1|1988
|[[Douglas Hofstadter]]
|Presented at the Chicago CSICOP conference<ref name="Chicago 1988">{{cite journal|last1=Shore|first1=Lys Ann|title=New Light on the New Age CSICOP's Chicago conference was the first to critically evaluate the New Age movement.|journal=The Skeptical Inquirer|date=1988|volume=13|issue=3|pages=226–235}}</ref>
|-
|rowspan=1|1990
|[[Cornelis de Jager]]
|Presented at the Brussels 1990 CSICOP conference<ref name="Brussels 1990">{{cite journal|last1=Kurtz|first1=Paul|title=Skepticism in Europe: Brussels Conference Tackles Diverse Issues|journal=Skeptical Inquirer|date=1991|volume=15|issue=2|page=218}}</ref>
|-
|rowspan=1|1990
|[[Gerard Piel]]
|Awarded at the Washington D. C. conference March 30-April 1.<ref name="DC conference 1990">{{cite journal|last1=Shore|first1=Lys Ann|title=Skepticism in the Light of Scientific Literacy|journal=Skeptical Inquirer|date=1990|volume=15|issue=1|page=8}}</ref>
|-
|rowspan=1|1991
|[[Donald Johanson]]
|Awarded at the 15th Anniversary of CSICOP in Berkeley, California.<ref name="1991 Awards">{{cite journal|title=CSICOP's 1991 Awards|journal=Skeptical Inquirer|date=1991|volume=16|issue=1|page=16}}</ref>
|-
|rowspan=1|1992
|[[Richard Dawkins]]
|Presented at the CSICOP Dallas, Texas Convention<ref name="Dallas 1992">{{cite journal|title=CSICOP's 1992 Awards|journal=Skeptical Inquirer|date=1993|volume=17|issue=3|page=236}}</ref>
|-
|rowspan=1|1994
|[[Elizabeth Loftus]]
|Awarded at the CSI Seattle Conference June 23–26<ref name="Seattle 1994">{{cite journal|last1=Karr|first1=Barry|author-link=Barry Karr|title=Five Honored with CSICOP Awards|journal=Skeptical Inquirer|date=1994|volume=18|issue=5|pages=461–462}}</ref> "For her research in memory and eyewitness testimony."<ref name="Editors note 1994">{{cite journal|last1=Frazier|first1=Kendrick|title=Editor's Note: Three Culture Clashes|journal=Skeptical Inquirer|date=1995|volume=19|issue=2|page=2}}</ref>
|-
|rowspan=1|1996
|[[Leon M. Lederman|Leon Lederman]]
|Awarded at the First World Congress in Amherst, New York, presented by [[Cornelis de Jager]]<ref name="World Congress 1996">{{cite web|last1=Flynn|first1=Tom|author-link=Tom Flynn (author)|title=World Skeptics Congress Draws Over 1200 Participants|url=http://www.csicop.org/sb/show/world_skeptics_congress_draws_over_1200_participants|website=Skeptical Inquirer|date=September 1996|publisher=CSICOP|access-date=19 August 2016|archive-date=August 28, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160828191841/http://www.csicop.org/sb/show/world_skeptics_congress_draws_over_1200_participants|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="First World Congress 1996"/>
|-
|rowspan=1|2000
|Lin Zixin
|Lin Zixin was awarded in absentia.<ref name="WSC 2000">{{cite journal|last1=Kurtz|first1=Paul|title=Worlds Skeptics Congress|journal=Skeptical Inquirer|date=2001|volume=25|issue=2|pages=34}}</ref>
|-
|rowspan=1|2001
|[[Kendrick Frazier]]
|Awarded at the first Center for Inquiry International Conference in Atlanta, Georgia. Frazier "spoke of his feelings... 'I am more a toiler in the editorial fields than an inhabitant of the lofty spires of academia, so that makes me all the more appreciative".<ref name="Radford 2002">{{cite journal|last1=Radford|first1=Ben|author-link=Ben Radford|title=Science and Religion: The Conference|journal=Skeptical Inquirer|date=2002|volume=26|issue=2|page=15}}</ref>
|-
|rowspan=1|2002
|[[Marvin Minsky]]
|Awarded at the Fourth World Skeptics Conference (June 2002) in Burbank, California.<ref>{{cite journal|title=Chancellor's Distinguished Fellows Program, 2005-2006, Selective Bibliography for Marvin Minsky|page=9|date=May 24, 2006|publisher=[[UC Irvine]] Libraries|author=Gelfand, Julia|doi=10.1080/03124077308549397|s2cid=145751890 |journal=Australian Social Work}}</ref>
|-
|rowspan=1|2003
|[[Ray Hyman]]
|Presented at the Albuquerque conference by friend [[James Alcock]]. "Ray Hyman, from whom I-and I am sure all of us-continue to learn so much."<ref>{{cite web|last1=Alcock|first1=James|title=In Praise of Ray Hyman|url=http://www.csicop.org/si/show/in_praise_of_ray_hyman|website=Skeptical Inquirer|date=March 2004 |publisher=CSICOP|access-date=19 August 2016|archive-date=December 8, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181208124234/https://www.csicop.org/si/show/in_praise_of_ray_hyman|url-status=live}}</ref>
|-
|rowspan=1|2004
|[[James Alcock]]
|Presented at the Center for Inquiry – ''Transnational'' Conference in Toronto, Canada. Vern Bullough presented Alcock with the award. Alcock stated that many scientists do not care about pseudoscience as they don't see it as a threat on science, but he reminds the audience that "fundamentalist religious viewpoints" and "alternative medicine" are "very real threats".<ref name="CFI Toronto">{{cite journal|last1=Gaeddert|first1=John|title=Science and Ethics Conference Brings Together Minds from Canada, Europe, and the U.S.|journal=Skeptical Inquirer|date=2004|volume=28|issue=5|pages=5–6}}</ref>
|-
|rowspan=1|2009
|[[James Randi]]
|Presented at the 12th World Congress in Maryland. [[Paul Kurtz]] presented the award saying "Your greatest quality is that you are an educator, a teacher. You have shown that the easiest people to deceive are PhDs, a great insight to all of us. You expose myths and hoaxes.... You stand out in history."<ref name="Randi PRA">{{cite web|title=Randi, Krauss, Kurtz Honored with Major Awards|url=http://www.csicop.org/si/show/randi_krauss_kurtz_honored_with_major_awards|website=Skeptical Inquirer|publisher=CSICOP|access-date=19 August 2016|archive-date=August 26, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160826113746/http://www.csicop.org/si/show/randi_krauss_kurtz_honored_with_major_awards|url-status=live}}</ref>
|-
|rowspan=1|2011
|[[Bill Nye]]
|Presented at CSIcon New Orleans conference. [[Eugenie Scott]] stated "If you think Bill is popular among skeptics, you should attend a science teacher conference where he is speaking" it is standing room only. She continues by saying that no one has more fun as Nye when he is "demonstrating, principles of science."<ref name="Bill Nye PRA"/>
|}