On February 4, Rafael Alvira, Full Professor emeritus of department of Philosophy of the University of Navarra, passed away. Doctor in Philosophy with extraordinary award by the Complutense University, where he was Senior Associate Professor of Fundamentals of Philosophy, he obtained his Chair at the University of La Laguna in 1979, and was linked stably to the University of Navarra since 1980, where in addition to his teaching in the School of Philosophy and Letters, he held different positions -Dean of the School of Philosophy, and promoted numerous initiatives -among which the Institute business and Humanism- stands out. Not many months ago he received a final doctorate Honoris Causa from the University of Montevideo. His human category and his work professor, at the service of the training of generations of philosophers -the thesis he has directed are counted by dozens- leave an indelible mark in the department and in all those who have known him. 

"Writing in the souls" was the degree scroll chosen for the book that was given to him on the occasion of his retirement, which brought together the contributions of numerous colleagues and disciples from all over the world, all united by their friendship or their teaching. It was difficult to distinguish between the two in the case of Professor Alvira, who did not hide his predilection for Plato: the Philosophy is done in a dialogic and friendly context, imitating the example of Socrates, without forgetting the rules of rhetoric: master in the art of the word, it was mainly through conversation, in which the whole person is involved, that he exercised his teaching. 

He wrote just enough to clarify concepts, always highlighting neglected aspects, always touching on topics central to life, because that was how he understood Philosophy: not only as an academic exercise, but as a way of life. The titles of some of his books attest to this: La razón de ser hombre. essay acerca de la justificación del ser humano (1998), El lugar al que se vuelve. Reflections on the family (1998), Philosophy of everyday life (1999). When he spoke about all this, especially about the family, he did so from his own experience, reflected from his official document as a philosopher, and then he unveiled and clarified central elements of that experience, in a way that opened horizons for all. Heir to the style educational inaugurated by his father, he awakened in his students the desire to know and deepen by themselves the questions he exposed in class.

From the beginning of his academic degree program he was interested in freedom and will. In general, he felt that the Western philosophical tradition had not shed a certain intellectualist bias, which prevented him from appreciating the importance of desire and will in human life. This also explains why, in addition to exploring the traditions of thought that have given more prominence to the will, he put his vast knowledge of the history of the Philosophy mainly at the service of Philosophy internship issues, promoting a line of research on "participation and civil society" from which numerous publications emerged.  

After retirement, he continued to receive numerous invitations to give lectures. Affected by Covid, he had to give up traveling, but remained philosophically active, participating online in various seminars, and following the activity of department. A lover of music, he conceived of Philosophy, in the manner of Socrates who stars in the dialogue Phaedo, as a form of music, but, more clearly than Socrates in that place, he knew that it was not that class of music that best disposed for death. If Socrates was moved in those last moments to play ritual music, Rafael Alvira was accompanied throughout his life by the music of faith, which gave his attention, always exquisite, an indefinable quality. His last hours in the clinic where he was hospitalized were marked by a sense of humor that was very much his own, and which represents a very personal synthesis of his extraordinary human qualities and Christian faith. Rafael Alvira represents an original combination of philosophical culture, moral integrity and human courtesy that is difficult to repeat. D.E.P.