Ilkka Niiniluoto

Ilkka Maunu Olavi Niiniluoto
Born March 12, 1946, Helsinki.

Master of Arts (Applied Mathematics), 1968, Licentiate of Philosophy, 1971, and Doctor of Philosophy (Theoretical Philosophy), University of Helsinki, 1974

Professor of Theoretical Philosophy, University of Helsinki, 1977–2014
Chancellor, University of Helsinki, 2008–2013
Rector, University of Helsinki, 2003–2008
Associate Professor of Mathematics, University of Helsinki, 1973–1977

Publications, research projects and other academic activities

Research interests: philosophy of science, philosophical logic, theory of knowledge, cultural philosophy, history of philosophy

Main works: Is Science Progressive? (1984), Truthlikeness (1987) and Critical Scientific Realism (1999). In addition to two hundred academic articles and edited works, a dozen Finnish-language textbooks and essay collections, including Tiede, filosofia ja maailmankatsomus (‘Knowledge, philosophy and world-view’, 1984), Maailma, minä ja kulttuuri (‘The world, me and culture’, 1990), Järki, arvot ja välineet (‘Reason, values and means’, 1994) and Totuuden rakastaminen (‘Loving truth’, 2003).

Awards and special achievements
University of Helsinki’s award for public information, 1986
Chydenius Prize, 1990
Prometheus Prize, 2004
Honorary Doctorate, Helsinki School of Art and Design, 2007

Written by Ilkka Niiniluoto (Riitta-Ilona Hurmerinta, ed.)
Translated by John Calton

My best moments in the University of Helsinki

University life has a wonderful rhythm: punctuating the daily toil of study, teaching and research are the mentally refreshing and elevating celebrations. I have happy memories of these from my own time as a student as a member of the South Finland student ‘nation’ and the philosophy students’ organization Dilemma, which I helped found in 1967.

One of the pleasant highlights of my career was the speech I delivered at the University of Helsinki’s 350th anniversary celebrations in September 1990. ‘Tiedon soihtu’, ‘The torch of knowledge’, gave me the opportunity to sketch the good news about the role of knowledge for personal development and the progress of the nation. The press picked up on a subheading from my speech warning that the consumer boom had had its day. I was to pursue similar themes in my inaugural speech as rector in September 2003, under the heading “Dynaaminen sivistysyliopisto” (‘The dynamic civilising university’). All good parties see us looking for new lines of inquiry and bolstering the University’s sense of community.