Oiva Ketonen’s research career started with his dissertation Untersuchungen zum Prädikatenkalkül ‘Studies on predicate calculus’ (1943), which offered interesting results about a relatively new as well as unknown subject for Finnish philosophy community. It presented modern formal logic, which had been brought to the attention of Finnish philosophers by Professor Eino Kaila. The thesis was also remarkable owing to the circumstances of its publication: it appeared during wartime, and enjoyed none of the benefits of academic supervision.

The formal proof of scholarly competence was to be followed by a new set of questions: four years after his dissertation, he turned his attention to astronomy, all the while putting himself forward beyond the world of academia. He continued his work in the philosophy of science with Eurooppalaisen ihmisen maailmankatsomus (‘The worldview of the European’, 1961), which was used for many years as reading material for the theoretical philosophy entrance examination, as well as Se pyörii sittenkin (‘And yet it moves’, 1976), which is considered the culmination of his work in the philosophy of science.

Ketonen took an empirical and pragmatic perspective on questions relating to the philosophy of science, a stance which was influenced by ideas from his time in the United States. He was not a pure naturalist, but he combined naturalism with humanism to create an original philosophy.

Ketonen’s subjects also touched closely on the Finnish nation. He gave personal considerations to topics which were relatively untouched and historically sensitive in the 1960s, such as university policy, medicine and psychotherapy. This is especially highlighted by his writings on the events of 1918, in which he emphasised the importance of moral responsibility.

Sources:

• Sami Pihlström, ’Ketonen, Oiva’ National Biography of Finland online. Accessed May 18, 2015. 
• ”Akateemikko Oiva Ketonen kuollut” (’Academician Oiva Ketonen has died’). MTV3 online news. Accessed May 18, 2015.
• Wikipedia, Oiva Ketonen. Accessed May 18, 2015.
• Tuomo Rintamaa, ”Korkeakoulutuksen kehittäjä Oiva Ketosen syntymästä 100 vuotta”(’The centenary of Academician Oiva Ketonen’s birth’) . Accessed May 18, 2015.

Citation:

Sami Pihlström, ’Ketonen, Oiva’. National Biography of Finland online.