In the year 2022 PD Dr Oliver Eberl for his work "State of nature and barbarism. Justification and critique of state order under colonialism" (Hamburger Edition, 2021) was honoured.

In his habilitation thesis, Eberl offers an analysis of the history of ideas that not only concentrates on political theory, but also includes current research discourses in other areas of political science.

The jury's assessment reads: "As obvious as it may be that the idea of "barbarism" was closely linked to colonialism in European history, Eberl's book shows how problematic colonial thought patterns continue to live on in the "state of nature" - as a seemingly neutral twin expression of the political theoretical language of treaty-theoretical state justification. In doing so, he not only fulfils his lofty and undoubtedly contemporary theoretical claim to decolonise political theory. With his elegantly formulated book, which perfectly combines the equally engaging and precise imagination of the narrative art of the history of ideas with thorough systematic analysis, Eberl makes a substantial contribution which - the jury is convinced - will become a point of reference in the current, public and sometimes controversial debate."

The award ceremony took place on 23 June 2023 as part of the DGfP's 40th anniversary conference in Berlin.