A dissertation is an extensive personal job which causes stress and anxiety. Criticism may be met with panic, but indifference is probably even worse. A factor which partly raises the threshold can be found in the connection between philosophy and literature. Also, writing in a foreign language is surprisingly slow. Of current themes for research Timo Airaksinen mentions bioethics, justice, and sexuality.
Bioethical research is carried out in cooperation with the faculty of medicine.
As for theories on justice, at least Sirkku Hellsten 's dissertation has aroused public interest - it was seen to provide a basis for direct action in the name of animal protection. Sexuality is re-defined by Petri Sipil in his frank book, which uses feminist theories, for example, as a sounding board. Mikko Salmela 's dissertation is a pioneering description of the cultural history of Finnish philosophy from Westermarck to von Wright. We philosophers have been international to such an astonishing degree that Finnish philosophy, our own philosophy, has remained on the sidelines. We'll see whether Salmela's work initiates a new discussion on historical issues.