Lilli Alanen

Lilli Kristina Alanen (née Gullichsen; 16 October 1941 – 22 October 2021) was a Finnish philosopher and Professor Emeritus of History of Philosophy at the Department of Philosophy at Uppsala University. She was elected a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 2018. Born in Pori, Finland, Alanen studied philosophy at the Sorbonne in Paris under Ferdinand Alquié and at the University of Helsinki under Ingmar Pörn, with influence from Georg Henrik von Wright. Her academic career included teaching at the University of Pittsburgh in the 1980s before becoming a professor at Uppsala University in 1997. Alanen specialized in the history of philosophy, focusing on René Descartes and David Hume, and also contributed to feminist philosophy. Her book on Descartes (2003) offered a nuanced perspective on his concept of mind, highlighting the implications of embodiment. Alanen was a member of the Ahlström family, daughter of Maire Gullichsen and Harry Gullichsen. Her siblings included Kristian and Johan Gullichsen. She was married twice, first to Sakari Alanen with whom she had three children, and later to Frederick Stoutland. She passed away in Helsinki in 2021.