Honoris Causa: What the Latin Phrase Actually Means

For the sake of honour — three words that define what the award is and, just as importantly, what it is not. A close reading of the phrase behind the ceremony.

What separates a genuine honorary award from its counterfeit imitations is the absence of a transaction. Reputable institutions do not sell honorary degrees; candidates are proposed by faculties or special committees, approved by governing bodies, and announced publicly with reasons. The moment a title can be bought — however the invoice is dressed up as a donation or an administration fee — the honour becomes a commodity and the awarding body forfeits its credibility.

History also records how the honour has been declined. Some of the most respected figures in science and literature have turned down honorary degrees on principle, arguing that such awards dilute the meaning of earned doctorates, or that they preferred to be honoured by their work alone. These refusals are part of the tradition too, and universities generally record them with respect.

Criticism of the practice is longstanding and worth reading. Observers have argued that honorary degrees can serve as fundraising instruments, that celebrities receive them for visibility rather than merit, and that genuinely deserving contributors — teachers, nurses, public servants — are overlooked in favour of the wealthy and famous. These critiques have pushed many institutions to publish transparent criteria and diversify their honourees.

Revocation is part of the tradition’s self-correction. Universities have withdrawn honorary degrees from honorees whose later conduct betrayed the values the award was meant to recognise — from financial scandals to serious misconduct. Such cases are rare and painful for institutions, but they demonstrate that the honour is a relationship of trust, not a perpetual asset.

Seen in its full history, the honorary degree is a bridge between academia and society — meaningful when it is earned in reputation and given in sincerity, hollow the moment either side of that equation is faked.