Ülo Kaevats facts for kids

Ülo Kaevats (born September 29, 1947, died January 30, 2015) was an important person from Estonia. He was a statesman (meaning he helped lead the country), an academic (someone who works in universities and studies a lot), and a philosopher (someone who thinks deeply about big questions in life).

Ülo Kaevats's Early Life and Studies

Ülo Kaevats was a very smart student. In 1972, he finished his studies at the University of Tartu. He studied both physics and philosophy. Physics is about how the world works, and philosophy is about understanding ideas and knowledge.

Later, he earned a special advanced degree called a PhD from Vilnius State University in Lithuania. This showed he was an expert in his field.

His Work as an Academic and Editor

Ülo Kaevats spent many years working in important roles.

Leading the Estonian Encyclopaedia

For a long time (from 1989 to 1992, and again from 1995 to 2000), he was the editor-in-chief of the Estonian Encyclopaedia. Think of an encyclopaedia as a huge set of books filled with facts and information about everything! As editor-in-chief, he was in charge of making sure all the information was correct and well-written. It was a very important job for his country.

Research and Teaching

Before that, he worked as a researcher at the Estonian and USSR Academies of Sciences. He mostly studied the history of science, looking at how scientific ideas changed over time.

Later in his career, he became a professor of philosophy at Tallinn University of Technology. He even became the head of the philosophy department there. He taught students and shared his knowledge until 2011, when he retired.

As a scholar, Ülo Kaevats was especially interested in two areas of philosophy:

• Philosophy of science: This is about understanding how science works and what makes scientific knowledge true.
• Philosophy of technology: This explores how technology affects our lives and what it means for humans.

Serving His Country as Secretary of State

From 1992 to 1995, Ülo Kaevats took on a very important role for Estonia. He served as the Secretary of State. This was a special time because Estonia was just becoming an independent country again after many years.

As Secretary of State, he was the most senior civil servant. This means he was a top government official who helped make sure the government ran smoothly and followed the country's rules. It was a key job in helping Estonia rebuild itself.

Later Life

Ülo Kaevats passed away on January 30, 2015. He left behind a legacy of important work in academia, philosophy, and public service for Estonia.