Finland · 100th birthday of Georg Henrik von Wright

Issue date17 Oct 2016

Total mintage1,000,000

EU maximum1,000,000

Editions4

Edge letteringSUOMI FINLAND + 3 lion heads

InscriptionGEORG HENRIK VON WRIGHT / 2016 / FI

DesignerNora Tapper

mintSuomen Rahapaja OY, Vantaa, Finnland

Issue occasion

The commemorative coin honours the 100th birthday of the philosopher Georg Henrik von Wright. The design features an ancient Doric column and an oak branch to its left; the name “GEORG HENRIK VON WRIGHT” runs in a semicircle from left to right.

The design

In the inner part of the coin, an ancient Doric column and, to its left, an oak branch are depicted. The inscription “GEORG HENRIK VON WRIGHT” runs in a semicircle from left to right, and the year of issue “2016” is engraved in the upper right. At the upper left, “FI” for the issuing country and the mintmark appear. The twelve stars of the European flag are depicted on the coin’s outer ring.

Background on the topic

Georg Henrik von Wright (1916–2003) was a Finnish philosopher from Finland’s Swedish-speaking population. He studied at the University of Helsinki (Universität Helsinki), where he was influenced by Eino Kaila, who had introduced analytical philosophy and logical empiricism in Finland. Von Wright published mainly in Swedish and English, but also wrote in German and Finnish. As a result, he had an impact both within the Finnish public sphere and in international academic philosophy.

A closely connected period of his career was associated with Ludwig Wittgenstein. Von Wright met him during a stay at the University of Cambridge (Universität Cambridge) and succeeded him there as professor after Wittgenstein’s resignation. After Wittgenstein’s death, he was one of the administrators and editors of the extensive philosophical estate, together with Elizabeth Anscombe and Rush Rhees. Their work made numerous previously unpublished manuscripts accessible and influenced the subsequent reception of Wittgenstein.

Von Wright worked, among other fields, on logic, the philosophy of science and the theory of human action. In his studies of deontic logic, he systematically examined concepts such as duty, permission and prohibition. In later writings, he also addressed technological progress, rationality, environmental problems and the foundations of modern industrial societies. He also emerged as an essayist and public intellectual.

The coin’s imagery from classical antiquity refers to the long tradition of philosophical thought within which von Wright situated his work. Plant motifs may likewise be understood as references to growth, endurance and nature; however, no official interpretation of these individual symbols is apparent from the description.

The choice of the anniversary relates to von Wright’s special position between Finnish intellectual life and international analytical philosophy. The coin issue thus places him among a series of Finnish commemorative themes focusing on the country’s science, culture and intellectual history.