The great philosophical questions of world history have been addressed in many cultures. These include questions about the self and the mind, causation and constitution, language and logic, Being and the possibility of a divine reality. Recognising the contribution that different cultures can offer, this project explores Indian approaches to key philosophical problems.
As Comparative or Global Philosophy expands, new approaches to old problems are emerging. At Oxford, early scholars of Sanskrit like Max Muller (1823-1900) encouraged Westerners to see Indian thought as an equal resource to the Greek thinkers they were more familiar with, and some of the first serious engagements with Indian philosophy of logic and language came from Bimal Krishna Matilal (1935-1991), the Spalding Professor of Eastern Religion and Ethics. Since then, at Oxford thinkers have explored Indian approaches to meaning and mind (Jonardon Ganeri), scepticism and nihilism (Jan Westerhoff), ontology and monism (Jessica Frazier), phenomenology and experience (Gavin Flood) and other classic areas of philosophy. At the OCHS this research area welcomes projects that seek to make analytically substantive contributions to philosophical questions.
