Eva Gothlin (Lundgren-Gothlin) died on December 22, 2006, at the age of 49. She was one of the leading feminist scholars in the Nordic countries, working in the areas of history of ideas and philosophy. 

Gothlin specialized in existential philosophy and feminist existentialism. Her best-known work is the groundbreaking Beauvoir study, “Kon och Existens: Studier I Simone de Beauvoir’s ‘Le Deuxieme Sexe’” (1992), which was translated into English as “Sex and Existence: Simone de Beauvoir’s ‘The Second Sex’” (1995) and into French as “Sex et existence: La philosophie de Simone de Beauvoir” (2001).

While working on Beauvoir’s ethics, Eva Gothlin initiated and directed a translation project which produced the new complete annotated Swedish translation of Beauvoir’s “Le Deuxieme Sexe” (“Det andra konet” 2002). This was great contribution to Nordic women’s studies, and it had an important impact on the international scholarly exchange. Gothlin also worked as the director of the research project, “Kon, ras, sexualitet—konstruktion eller essens,” which studied the origin of the essentialism-constructivism controversy.

In recent years, her own research focused on the history of female-male friendship, which she found discussed in a fresh illuminative manner by Beauvoir as well as by her female predecessors in the Romantic, utopian and socialistic traditions of modern philosophy.

Eve Gothlin was an exceptional colleague and friend, and several generations of Scandinavian and Nordic feminist philosophers and historians were inspired and educated by her insight and courage.

Sara Heinamaa
Fellow
Helsinki Collegium for Advanced Studies
University of Helsinki, Finland
sigrthor@hi.is

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