The Finnish Society for Natural Philosophy 25 Years K.V. Laurikainen Honorary Symposium 2013 K. V. Laurikainen's Attempt to Establish the Philosophy of Physics as a Subject of Teaching and Research at the University of Helsinki Claus Montonen Ph.D., University of Helsinki E-mail:
[email protected] Abstract. Throughout the period after his retirement from the chair of high energy physics K.V.Laurikainen worked towards getting his brand of the philosophy of science established as a subject of teaching and research at the University of Helsinki. This paper follows his attempts up to the end of his association with the Research Institute for Theoretical Physics (April 1991). In January 1979, K.V. Laurikainen retired from his chair in High Energy Physics (until 1978 Nuclear Physics) having reached the age of 63, the lowest possible allowed for retirement. To his friends and colleagues he distributed copies of his latest publication, the edited verbatim transcript of panel discussions held at the Symposium on the Foundations of Modern Physics, Loma-Koli, August 1977 [8]. Into the copies he had inserted a slip of paper reading \As a memory of the change of direction of work 31.1.1979, K.V. Laurikainen" (Muistoksi ty¨onsuunnan muutoksesta 31.1.1979). What was the change he was referring to? To understand this, we have to take a look at his previous career. Laurikainen studied mathematics, physics and philosophy at the University of Helsinki, earning his Master degree in mathematics in 1940. For his Ph.D., he switched to theoretical physics, his first love being the theory of relativity.