Personal details and the date of the CV

  • Surname: Viljanen
  • First names: Valtteri Kustaa
  • Research ID: ORCID iD 0000-0002-8373-0847
  • Date of the CV: 17 May 2024

Degrees

  • Doctor of Philosophy, University of Turku, Philosophy, 12 December 2007.
  • Title of Docent: History of Philosophy, University of Turku, 27 October 2010.

Current employment: Senior Researcher of the Kone Foundation project The Emergence of Pessimism (2023–2027); stage of the academic research career: Senior Researcher (the third stage, independent research and academic leadership).

Previous work experience 

  • PI and Senior Researcher of the Emil Aaltonen research project Modern View of Concepts (1 August 2020–31 August 2023)
  • Senior Research Fellow in the Academy of Finland project Viral Culture in Early Nineteenth-Century Europe, 1 September 2019–31 July 2020.
  • Academy of Finland Research Fellow, University of Turku, 1 September 2014–31 August 2019.
  • Postdoctoral Researcher, Turku Institute for Advanced Studies,1 January 2012–31 August 2014.
  • Postdoctoral Researcher, Academy of Finland, University of Turku, 1 January 2009–31 December 2011.
  • Junior Researcher, Finnish Graduate School of Philosophy, 1 March 2003–2 May 2007 (University of Turku).
  • Longer term visits abroad: Birkbeck, University of London, UK (Visiting Fellow, 2019–2020); New York University, USA (Visiting Scholar, fall 2011); Uppsala universitet, Sweden (Visiting Postdoctoral Researcher and Teacher, spring 2008); Université Paris VIII Vincennes–Saint-Denis, France (Visiting Scholar, spring 2004); Eberhard Karls Universität Tübingen, Germany (Ph.D. studies, 2002–03).

Career breaks: sick leave 22 April–4 June 2013; paternity leave and parental leave 7–21 September 2005, 24–28 October 2005, and 25 March–4 July 2006.

Research funding and grants: Kone Foundation, €178,800 (2022); Emil Aaltonen Foundation, €200,000 (2019); The Academy of Finland, Academy of Finland Research Fellow (2014); Niilo Helander Foundation, €10,000 (2014); The Finnish Cultural Foundation, €11,000 (2014); Turku Institute for Advanced Studies, Postdoctoral Researcher (2011); Turku University Foundation, €6268 (2011); The Emil Aaltonen Foundation, €2500 (2009); The Academy of Finland, Postdoctoral Researcher (2008); The Academy of Finland, €9000 (2007); Jenny and Antti Wihuri Foundation, €18,000 (2007); The Finnish Cultural Foundation, €8000 (2007); Turku University Foundation, €13,820 (2002); Niilo Helander Foundation, €13,500 (2002); Jenny and Antti Wihuri Foundation, FIM 60,000 (2001).

Research output

Total number of publications 45; ten most important publications:

  1. (With Peter Myrdal and Arto Repo) “Leibniz on Possibilia, Creation, and the Reality of Essences.” Philosophers’ Imprint, 2023 (17): 1–17.
  2. Spinoza (with J. Steinberg). Polity Press, 2021.
  3. “Why Virtue Is not Quite Enough: Descartes on Attaining Happiness.” Archiv für Geschichte der Philosophie 2021, 103 (1): 54–69.
  4. “The Young Spinoza on Scepticism, Truth, and Method.” Canadian Journal of Philosophy 2020, 50 (1): 130–42
  5. “Kant on Moral Agency: Beyond the Incorporation Thesis.” Kant-Studien 2020, 111 (3): 423–44.“The Young Spinoza on Scepticism, Truth, and Method.” Canadian Journal of Philosophy 2020, 50 (1): 130–42.
  6. “Spinoza on Activity and Passivity: The Problematic Definition Revisited.” – M. Reuter & F. Svensson (eds.), Mind, Body and Morality: New Perspectives on Descartes and Spinoza, 157–74. Routledge, 2019.
  7. “Spinoza’s Ontology Geometrically Illustrated: A Reading of Ethics IIP8S.” – Beth Lord (ed.), Spinoza’s Philosophy of Ratio, 5–18. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press, 2018.
  8. “Spinoza’s Essentialism in the Short Treatise.” – Yitzhak Y, Melamed (ed.), The Young Spinoza: A Metaphysician in the Making, 183–95. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2015.
  9. “Spinoza on Virtue and Eternity.” – M.J. Kisner & A. Youpa (eds.), Essays on Spinoza’s Ethical Theory, 258–71. Oxford University Press, 2014.
  10. Spinoza’s Geometry of Power. Cambridge University Press, 2011.

Research supervision and leadership experience: Supervisor of doctoral students: (with O. Koistinen) D. De Bruyn (Ph.D. 2014); (with O. Koistinen & V. Lähteenmäki) J. Sinokki (2011–14); Leader of the Emil Aaltonen project The Modern View of Concepts (2020–2023); Leader of the Romantic Era Research Group (2014–).

Teaching merits

  • Teaching at the University of Turku: Springs 2002–05, 2009–12, philosophy of human sciences; Spring 2014, fall 2010 and 2011, spring 2013, seminars on early modern philosophy; Fall 2010 (with H. Meretoja), seminar on Michel Foucault; 2005–2016: altogether 14 lectures on the philosophy of human sciences.
  • Teaching abroad: spring 2008, seminar on Spinoza, Uppsala University, Sweden.
  • Teaching sample, University of Turku (2010), grade: excellent.
  • Pedagogical studies in Teacher Training, University of Turku, 1998.

Awards and honours: Lecturer of the Year 2012, awarded by Index, University of Turku; Turku University Foundation prize for outstanding dissertation, 2008, €1300.

Other key academic merits

  • Service as an examiner of a Licentiate Thesis: K. Ranki, University of Turku (2010).
  • Evaluation for the Title of Docent: T. Tahko, University of Helsinki (2013); M. Roinila, University of Helsinki (2015)
  • Reviewer for: Edinburgh University Press (2024); Journal of the History of Philosophy (2024, 2022, 2011–2013); Cambridge University Press (2014–2024); Aikuiskasvatus (2024); International Journal of Philosophical Studies (2023); Journal of Modern Philosophy (2022); History of Philosophy Quarterly (2020, 2014); Archiv für Geschichte der Philosophie (2013–2018); Canadian Journal of Philosophy (2011, 2015); Science in Context (2014); British Journal for the History of Philosophy (2014); Ergo (2014); Philosophical Quarterly (2013); Poliittinen talous (2013); Lexington Books (2011); Ajatus (2010–2011).
  • 59 papers presented in international conferences (of which 19 as an invited speaker); 27 papers presented in national conferences and workshops; 5 invited lectures for Finnish non-philosopher audiences.
  • Organizing scientific conferences and workshops: 11–12 October 2014; 2–4 October 2015; 29–30 May 2017; 28–29 May 2018: The Finnish-Hungarian Seminar in Early Modern Philosophy, main organizer with M. Griffin et al.; 1–2 June 2017, Turku: Nature, Mind, and Action in Leibniz, main organizer with P. Myrdal.; 20–21 March 2015, Helsinki: Metaphysics of Properties, main organizer with J. Hakkarainen et al.; 1–4 August 2013: Second Arctic Circle Seminar in Early Modern Philosophy: Self, main organizer with M. Roinila et al.; 16–17 December 2011, Turku: Early Modern Metaphysics of Causality and Representation, main organizer: 10–11 January 2011, Turku: The Annual Colloquium of the Philosophical Society of Finland, main organizer with H. Siipi; 29–30 September 2006; 22 August 2008, Turku: The Finnish Research Seminar on Early Modern Philosophy, main organizer.

Scientific and societal impact: Editorial Board member of the Journal of Spinoza Studies (2022–); Organizing Committee member of the Finnish-Hungarian Seminar in Early Modern Philosophy, 2014–2022; Executive Committee member of Dynamis – The Finnish Network for Metaphysics, 2013–2021; Board member of the Philosophical Society of Finland, 2010–14.

Other merits: Finnish military rank: Second Lieutenant.