The Georg Henrik von Wright Lecture

The Georg Henrik von Wright Lecture is intended as a recurring event with the purpose of promoting research and debate relating to the philosophical work of Georg Henrik von Wright. It is funded by a donation made by Anita von Wright-Grönberg and Benedict von Wright to the University of Helsinki in 2013.
2023 Lecture

Friedrich Stadler: "Georg Henrik von Wright and Austrian Philosophy – Personal and Intellectual Encounters with Family Resemblances"

The sixth Georg Henrik von Wright Lecture was held by professor Friedrich Stadler (Vienna) on October 20th 2023. It was held in Tieteiden talo as a part of the 150th anniversary conference of the Philosophical Society of Finland.The title of Stadler's lecture was "Georg Henrik von Wright and Austrian Philosophy – Personal and Intellectual Encounters with Family Resemblances".

 

2022 Lecture

Lars Hertzberg: "The Meaning of Action: von Wright's Place in a Philosophical Debate"

After a break due to corona restrictions, the fifth Georg Henrik von Wright Lecture was held by professor emeritus Lars Hertzberg on December 1st 2022 in Hall 1 of Metsätalo. The title of Hertzberg's lecture was "The Meaning of Action: von Wright's Place in a Philosophical Debate".

2018 Lecture

Peter Hacker: “The Roots of Value”

In 2017 there was a break in the lectures. The fourth Georg Henrik von Wright Lecture was held by Professor Peter Hacker on June 5th 2018 in the Small Hall of the Main Building of the University of Helsinki. The title of Professor Hacker's lecture was “The Roots of Value”.

During his stay in Helsinki Professor Hacker also participated in the public debate “Neuroscience and Philosophy of Mind” at Think Corner, June 4th 2018, together with Kai Kaila, Pii Telakivi and Thomas Wallgren. The session was chaired by Ilkka Niiniluoto.

2016 Lecture

Cora Diamond: “Von Wright on Wittgenstein in Relation to His Times”

The third Georg Henrik von Wright Lecture was held by Professor Cora Diamond on May 18th 2016 in the Small Hall of the Main Building of the University of Helsinki. The title of Professor Diamond's lecture was “Von Wright on Wittgenstein in Relation to His Times”.

2015 Lecture

Jaakko Hintikka: “The Logical Problems of Induction”

The second Georg Henrik von Wright Lecture was held by Professor Jaakko Hintikka (1929–2015) on May 20th 2015 in the Small Hall of the Main Building of the University of Helsinki. The title of Professor Hintikka's lecture was “The Logical Problems of Induction”. Hintikka is a former student of von Wright and a Professor at Boston University, who has gained international fame for his research in philosophical logic, philosophy of mathematics, epistemology and the philosophy of language. Besides Georg Henrik von Wright, Jaakko Hintikka is the only Nordic philosopher who has been honoured with a volume in the Library of Living Philosophers-series.

2014 Lecture

Anthony Kenny: “Anthropomorphism vs. Humanism”

The very first Georg Henrik von Wright Lecture was held by Sir Anthony Kenny on June 17th 2014 in the Small Hall of the Main Building of the University of Helsinki. Kenny, the author of a series of books on the history of Western philosophy and original works on the philosophy of action and the freedom of will, is also known as the person von Wright nominated as his successor as trustee of the Wittgenstein Nachlass. Anthony Kenny’s lecture “Anthropomorphism vs. Humanism” dealt with the question of how the use of anthropomorphic concepts in biology, IT, politics and theology undermines genuine humanism, or the study of human beings in human terms.

During his stay in Helsinki Kenny also participated in a public discussion concerning the life and work of Georg Henrik von Wright and Ludwig Wittgenstein at Think Corner of the University of Helsinki.