Lilli Alanen
Encyclopedia
Lilli Alanen is a Finnish philosopher and Professor of History of Philosophy at Department of Philosophy at Uppsala University
, Sweden
. She specialises in the history of philosophy - with particular interest in René Descartes
and David Hume
but she has also contributed to feminist philosophy
.
In her critically received book on Descartes (2003), Alanen goes beyond mere history, drawing out the historical antecedents and the intellectual evolution of Descartes' thinking about the mind, showing how his emphasis on the embodiment of the mind has implications far more complex and interesting than the usual dualist account associated with his thinking suggests.
Uppsala University
Uppsala University is a research university in Uppsala, Sweden, and is the oldest university in Scandinavia, founded in 1477. It consistently ranks among the best universities in Northern Europe in international rankings and is generally considered one of the most prestigious institutions of...
, Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
. She specialises in the history of philosophy - with particular interest in René Descartes
René Descartes
René Descartes ; was a French philosopher and writer who spent most of his adult life in the Dutch Republic. He has been dubbed the 'Father of Modern Philosophy', and much subsequent Western philosophy is a response to his writings, which are studied closely to this day...
and David Hume
David Hume
David Hume was a Scottish philosopher, historian, economist, and essayist, known especially for his philosophical empiricism and skepticism. He was one of the most important figures in the history of Western philosophy and the Scottish Enlightenment...
but she has also contributed to feminist philosophy
Feminist philosophy
Feminist philosophy refers to philosophy approached from a feminist perspective. Feminist philosophy involves both attempts to use the methods of philosophy to further the cause of the feminist movements, and attempts to criticise or re-evaluate the ideas of traditional philosophy from within a...
.
In her critically received book on Descartes (2003), Alanen goes beyond mere history, drawing out the historical antecedents and the intellectual evolution of Descartes' thinking about the mind, showing how his emphasis on the embodiment of the mind has implications far more complex and interesting than the usual dualist account associated with his thinking suggests.
Selection of writings by Alanen
- Lilli Alanen, Descartes's Concept of Mind Harvard University press, Cambridge, Mass., 2003.
- Lilli Alanen and Charlotte Witt (eds), Feminist Reflections on the History of Philosophy (The New Synthese Historical Library), Springer, New York, 2004.
- Lilli Alanen and Sara Heinämaa (eds), Commonality and Particularity in Ethics, Palgrave Macmillan, London, 1997.
- Lilli Alanen, Studies in Cartesian epistemology and philosophy of mind, Acta philosophica Fennica, Helsinki, 1982.