In Memoriam

Memories of my friendship with Alejandro Llano

Abstract

The article intertwines personal recollection and scholarly appraisal to portray Spanish philosopher Alejandro Llano (1943-2021). Opening with the shock of Llano’s Alzheimer’s diagnosis, Arana frames their relationship as one of academic complementarity: both were Kant scholars, yet Llano approached knowledge through metaphysics while Arana focused on philosophy of nature. This article examines Llano’s dual identity as researcher and university leader, emphasizing his ability to fuse teaching, scholarship, and administration during his tenure as Rector of the University of Navarra. Arana highlights Llano’s fundamentally ethical personality, his Christian commitment to truth, and his prolific output in metaphysics, philosophy of language, and philosophy of religion, areas in which he fostered a wide network of doctoral students and collaborators. The narrative closes with reflections on Llano’s cognitive decline, his Christian fortitude in facing it, and the enduring significance of his intellectual and human legacy, depicted as a “work of art” whose memory—Arana suggests—extends beyond death.