June 16

Joseph Butler (1692–1752) was an English divine and moral philosopher who served as Bishop of Bristol and later Bishop of Durham. His most famous work, 'The Analogy of Religion, Natural and Revealed', offered a powerful defense of Christian faith against deist criticisms. In a series of sermons, he examined human nature, free will, and the foundations of ethics, influencing the course of moral philosophy. Butler’s clear, rigorous style made his arguments accessible and enduring. He also contributed to church reform and pastoral care in his dioceses. His ideas shaped Enlightenment thought and later theological debates. He died in 1752, leaving a significant legacy in theology and philosophy.

Georg Henrik von Wright (1916–2003) was a Finnish–Swedish philosopher renowned for his work in logic, philosophy of action, and analytic philosophy. A student and successor of Ludwig Wittgenstein at the University of Cambridge, he authored influential texts such as Norm and Action and The Logic of Preference. Von Wright's research addressed topics ranging from human agency to ethical theory, earning him international acclaim. He returned to Finland to teach and continued publishing essays on philosophy and social criticism. Von Wright served as the first president of the Finnish Academy of Science and Letters, shaping scholarly discourse in the Nordic countries. His interdisciplinary approach left a lasting mark on philosophical thought.