Alejandro Llano, rector of the University of Navarra between 1991 and 1996, died this Wednesday in Pamplona at the age of 81. Considered one of the most recognized philosophers of Spainwas dean of the Faculty of Philosophy and Letters of the academic center and president of the former Institute of Anthropology and Ethics (current common core).
He was born on June 9, 1943 in Madrid and spent his childhood in El Carmen (Asturias). After studying at the Universities of Madrid, Valencia and Bonn, He obtained his doctorate at the University of Valencia with a thesis on the metaphysics of Kant (1971). In 1976 he obtained the Chair of Metaphysics at the Autonomous University of Madrid and in 1977 he moved to the University of Navarra to teach Philosophy courses at the Faculty of Philosophy and Letters, a center of which he was dean between 1981 and 1989. He was appointed rector of the University of Navarra in 1991, a position he held until 1996.
Llano was one of the promoters, along with Professor Rafael Alvira, who died last February, of Institute of Business and Humanism (1986) and one of the main organizers of the Philosophical meetings which have taken place every year at the University of Navarra for over 50 years. In 2000, he was appointed president of the Institute of Anthropology and Ethicscurrently Core Curriculum Institute. Likewise, he was part of the Pontifical Academy of Saint Thomas Aquinas (2000) and received the title of Doctor honoris causa from the Pan American University of Mexico (2005).
Alejandro Llano’s research has focused primarily on the philosophy of German idealismwith a special mention to Immanuel Kant, as well as on questions of ontology and theory of knowledge in Aristotle and Thomas Aquinas, with approaches to logico-linguistic analysis. He also studied certain aspects of political philosophy, cultural theory and ethics.
Among the books written by Alejandro Llano, the following stand out: Phenomenon and transcendence in Kant (1973); Ethics and politics in a democratic society (1981); Science and culture in the service of man (1982); The future of freedom (1985); Philosophy of knowledge (1987); Humanism in business (1991); either The enigma of representation (1999), among others. He has written more than a hundred articles and taught nearly 150 conferences in universities from all over the world.
“We feel very saddened by the loss of the professor and former rector Alexander Llano. As happens with the great masters, he knew how to be both loved and admired. He combines simplicity and depth in his extraordinary figure as an academic in love with the University. He was a bold and suggestive thinker, whose contributions in various philosophical fields were very relevant and They opened horizons for many disciples. And he also knew how to be a great teacher, who appreciated the lessons with the passion of someone who saw in each student a person with whom to dialogue in the search for truth”, said María Iraburu, the current rector of the University of Navarra.
Iraburu wanted to highlight the service of Professor Alejandro Llano to the institution in his governmental responsibilities, especially his years as rector, with very tangible results. “On a day so important for him, since today is the celebration of anniversary of the founding of Opus Deiof which Professor Llano was a part, we leave behind us an accomplished life for which, at the University of Navarra, we are very grateful.
For his part, Alfonso Sánchez-Tabernero, rector of the University between 2012 and 2022remembers how Professor Llano “detected two opposing psychological profiles: the unscrupulous – always imperturbable – and the pathetic, extremely affected by bad news. Although he was one of the latter – he was certainly the suffering type – during his years as a university director he made decisions full of courage and without a quiver of pulse.
Sánchez-Tabernero highlighted Professor Llano’s generosity and dedication to his students: “He listened to their concerns, suggested readings, asked questions skillfully and did not impose his criteria. He said that the mission of teachers was not to colonize the minds of students, to introduce them into a pre-established mold, but to help them to discover the truth of your own life. His interlocutors feel understood and encouraged to behave with magnanimity. Perhaps this is why he supervised 89 doctoral theses and many people in Europe and America consider him their teacher.
