Dr Harry Alanen
Stipendiary Lecturer in Philosophy
Academic Subject(s): Philosophy and joint Schools
Biography
I received my DPhil from Oxford in 2022. My thesis - Aristotle on Action and Agency - explores Aristotle’s philosophy of action against the backdrop of contemporary action-theory, arguing that his approach to the explanation of behaviour is unique.
I am also a Visiting Scholar at the University of Helsinki, where I am a member of the "History and Diversity in Aristotelian Zoology"-project. Before joining Merton, I was a visiting Fulbright scholar at the University of Pittsburgh (in 2023-24).
Teaching
At Merton I mainly teach Ethics and Moral Philosophy, and function as the Director of Studies for students studying PPE and Philosophy joint degrees in the Humanities.
Research
My research focuses on the explanation of behaviour covering a wide range of philosophical issues including metaphysics, philosophy of mind, ethics, and the history of philosophy.
