The audience gained insights on how non-dogmatic ideas contribute to a pluralistic understanding of inquiry into truth, paving the way for new perspectives in philosophical discourse at a lecture by Professor Jonardon Ganeri delivered at Ahmedabad University on February 9, 2024.
Jonardon Ganeri, Bimal K. Matilal Distinguished Professor of Philosophy from the University of Toronto, is a philosopher known to construct new positions in the philosophy of mind, metaphysics, and epistemology by drawing on various philosophical traditions. In his talk, Professor Ganeri shared insights into Jaina philosophers from classical India, particularly focusing on their unique approach to epistemology.
He discussed their distinction between epistemic principles (pramāṇa) and epistemic standpoints (nayas), emphasising the importance of adopting non-dogmatic stances to pursue truth. Professor Ganeri demonstrated how these ideas contribute to a pluralistic understanding of inquiry into truth, paving the way for new perspectives in philosophical discourse.
The University’s School of Arts and Sciences organised the event and is part of the Rasila and Chandrakant Kadia Endowed Visiting Professorship instituted to bring a top global scholar to the University. The professorship helps build deep capabilities in India by advancing knowledge from various domains and helping prepare the next generation of leaders from Ahmedabad. “Professor Jonardan Ganeri is a deep thinker. He demonstrates a scholastic aspect, a scholastic impetus that the University stands for.
His involvement with the University community has helped faculty and students think about research, develop research interests, and explore more ideas on how to do research and what kind of research to undertake, especially in terms of methodology, topics, and related things”, marked Shishir Saxena, Assistant Professor at Ahmedabad University. The event concluded with a “Kahat Kabir” concert by Vipul Rikhi, a writer, singer, poet, storyteller, and translator. Known for his immersion in the oral traditions of Kabir and other mystic poets, Rikhi brought to life Kabir’s timeless poetry through his performances