Daniel Kahneman Obituary, Death: Daniel Kahneman, the world-renowned psychologist and Nobel laureate, has tragically passed away at the age of 91 on March 14, 2025. The celebrated author of Thinking, Fast and Slow died by suicide, a heartbreaking loss that has left the global academic community and the broader public in mourning. Kahneman’s pioneering work on human decision-making and cognitive biases transformed the field of psychology and earned him widespread recognition, including the Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences in 2002.
Born on March 5, 1934, in Tel Aviv, then part of Mandatory Palestine, Kahneman’s early life was shaped by the tumult of World War II. His experiences during the war would later influence his insights into human behavior, particularly how individuals make decisions under uncertainty. He completed his undergraduate studies at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem before pursuing graduate work at the University of California, Berkeley. It was at Berkeley where he met his long-time collaborator, Amos Tversky, with whom he would go on to develop groundbreaking theories on heuristics, biases, and the psychology of judgment.
In 2011, Kahneman’s Thinking, Fast and Slow was published, further cementing his legacy as one of the most influential thinkers of his generation. The book distilled decades of his research into an accessible format for the general public, offering insights into how people’s minds work. It introduced the concepts of “System 1” and “System 2” thinking, where System 1 represents fast, automatic, and often subconscious thought processes, while System 2 involves slower, more deliberate reasoning. Thinking, Fast and Slow became a global bestseller and influenced how people from various fields, including economics, politics, and business, understood human behavior.
Throughout his career, Kahneman received numerous honors and accolades, and he was recognized as one of the most influential psychologists in the world. His contributions extended beyond academia, shaping the fields of behavioral economics and decision science. His ability to bridge the gap between psychology and economics led to a new understanding of how people make choices, not based on rationality, but on a host of cognitive biases and heuristics.
Despite his professional success, Kahneman’s personal life was marked by periods of introspection, and his mental health struggles have been a source of quiet concern for those close to him. While his death by suicide has shocked many, it has also raised awareness about the often-overlooked struggles of even the most accomplished individuals. Kahneman’s passing serves as a somber reminder of the importance of mental health, especially among those who are in the public eye.
