Faculty Member

Asha Mukherjee (Dubey)
Professor of Philosophy
_________________________________

Department
Philosophy and Religion

   
Date of Birth 19 August 1955
Contact:
Office:        Department of Philosophy and Religion,
                   Visva-Bharati, Santiniketan, 731235, India.

Residence:        Sonajhuri Palli, Across Canal, Shyambati, Santiniketan, 731235, India.

E-mail:        asha.mukherjee@visva-bharati.ac.in
                    ashamukh@gmail.com

Landline:        +913463-261589
Mobile:           +919434744589
Educational Qualification:
M.A, M. Phil & PhD (Rajasthan University, Jaipur), Fulbright Post Doc. Fellow (Indiana University, Bloomington).
Teaching Experience:
Current Position:

Professor in Philosophy
Period of Appointment: Professor from 10 Aug- 2001
Share of time spent in research: More than 30 years

Previous Positions:

Chairperson, Dept of Philosophy and Religion, Aug. 2005-2008.
Reader (Associate Professor): Department of Philosophy and Religion, Visva Bharati, from 10 Aug 1993- 9 August 2001
Lecturer (Assistant Professor): Department of Philosophy and Religion, Visva Bharati, 2 July.1981-9 Aug. 1993
Instructor: Rajasthan University, 1978-81 (as UGC Fellow).
Specalization:
Ethics and Logic.
Research Areas:
Philosophical Logic, Mathematical Logic, Epistemology, Analytic Philosophy and Ethics, Social Philosophy, Philosophy of Religion, Applied Ethics, Environmental Issues, Gender Issues, Jainism, Buddhism and Contemporary Indian Philosophy
Academic Distinction:
1. Financial Assistance for Travel, accommodation etc. of 6,000 NOK to participate in Cultural Histories of Meditation Conference, 11 May-16 May, 2010 Organized by Oslo University, Oslo, Norway
2. Visiting Professor at University of Lausanne, Switzerland (under Exchange Program) April 12-23, 2010
3. Visiting Professor at Tel-Aviv University, Israel, April 25-10 May, 2010
4. Financial Assistance for Travel, accommodation etc. of 1,37,000 Japanese YEN to participate in IAHR Tokyo, 2005 by the Congress Secretariat of the 19 World Congress, IAHR
5. Travel Grant, Visva Bharati, to attend International Conference LMPS, Oviedo, Spain, 2003
6. UGC Major Research Project Grant for three years April 1997-2000 on Moral Paradoxes and Default Logic.
7. ICPR Research Grant, for translating book in Hindi, Language of Morals, R.M. Hare, 1997
8. Travel Grant by ICPR to attend a seminar at Catholic University of America, Washington, DC 1997
9. Visiting Professor (Research) at Catholic University of America, Washington, DC, 1997
10. Travel Grant, by Visva Bharati to attend a seminar at Catholic University of America, Washington, DC 1997
11. Travel Grant, Visva Bharati, to attend Moral Philosophy and Public Affairs Conference at St. Andrews, Scotland, 1989
12. Fulbright Post Doctoral Grant, 1984-85 CIES, Washington, DC. Visited Indiana University, Bloomington and was associated with Prof. Hector Neri Casteneda (Editor, NOUS). The project of research was Logic of Imperatives with Special Reference to Three Notions: Freedom, Epistemic Sets and Change of States of Affairs.
13. UGC Fellowship, 1978-81, University of Rajasthan, Jaipur.
14. Departmental Graduate Fellowship, 1977, Dept. of Philosophy, University of Rajasthan, Jaipur.
15. Executive Committee member of Indian Society for Phenomenological Studies (ISPS) Head Office in Pondicherry
16. Sectional President for 77th Session for Ethics and Social Philosophy Section, The Indian Philosophical Congress, held at Udaipur, Rajasthan, Oct. 2002
17. Appointed on the Professional Women’s Advisory Board by American Biographical Institute, America, since 2003
18. External Member of Board of Post Graduate Studies of Assam University, Silcher Assam since 2003
19. Sectional President, Logic and Metaphysics Section, Akhil Bhartiya Darshan Parishad, Sept. 1996
20. Selected as one of the Symposiast by Indian Philosophical Congress for the 79th sessions’ Symposium on Individual and community held at Madurai 16-19 Dec. 2004
21. Sectional President for Ethics and Religion Section at the First National Conference of Bhartiya Mahila Darshnika Parishad hosted by Department of Philosophy, University of Mumbai at Bombay, 28-29 Dec. 2005
22. Nominated by the Academic Council Banaras Hindu University as Expert Eternal member of the Board of Studies, Philosophy BHU for a period of two years from 4.5.2006.
23. Invited to Deliver Indian Council for Philosophical Research Periodical Lecture Series 2007 by Dept. of Humanities and Social Sciences IIT Kharagpur.
24. Nominated by the Academic Council of Rajasthan University as Expert Eternal member of the Board of Studies, Philosophy, Rajasthan University for a period of Three Years from 1.3.2007.
25. Chaired and organized a Symposium on “Empowerment of Women” at Bhartiya Darshnika Parishad hosted by Department of Philosophy, Chandigarh University, Chandigarh.
26. Chaired a session at International Conference on Navya-Nyaya and Logic organized by Department of Philosophy, University of Jadavpur, Kolkata
27. Chaired the Seminar on “Views of Different Religions for Achieving World Peace and The Role of Rotary”, organized by Rotary Club of Tagoreland on Feb. 10, 2007
28. Member of the Board of Studies as an External Expert, Department of Philosophy, North Eastern Hill University, Shillong.
29. Member, Indian Radical Humanist Association, Kolkata
30. Founder Director, Women’s Studies Centre, Visva-Bharati
31. External Expert on the Board of Post-Graduate Studies, Department of Philosophy, North Eastern Hill University
32. Advisory Board Member (External) Buddhist Studies, Hyderabad University, Hyderabad, 2009 onwards
33. Advisory Board Member (Internal) Centre for Buddhist Studies, Visva-Bharati, 2009 onwards
34. Nominated Member of the Institute Board of Bhasha Bhavana, Visva-Bharati, 2010
35. Chairperson, Standing Committee for ‘Prevention for Sexual Harassment against Women at Workplace’, Visva-Bharati, From July, 2010
36. Member, Board of Editors, International Journal of Jurisprudence and Philosophy of Law Published from NEHU, Shillong.
Publications:
Books:
1. Civil Society in Indian Culture: Indian Philosophical Studies I (Jt. Ed) The Council for Research in Values and Philosophy (CRVP) Washington, 2001. Reviewed in Journal of Indian Council of Philosophical Research, by Bhagat Oinam,Vol. XIXno. 4 Oct- Dec.2002, pp237-243
2. Man Cognition and World- Jaina Philosophical Papers, (Ed.) Kalinga Publishers, Delhi 2004.
3. Empowerment of Women: A Multidimensional Approach, (Jt. Ed.) Gyan Publishers, 2003.

Research Papers and Review Articles:
1. Book Review: The Nature of Philosophy, Daya Krishna (With Introduction by Mrinal Miri, Indian Council of Philosophical Research, New Delhi,2009, in Journal of Indian Council of Philosophical Research, Oct.-Dec.2010, Vol. XXVII, No. 4, 117-130
2. “Jainism: Its Identity on the Basis of Literature and Philosophy”, Religion and Literature Indian Perspective, Ed. Projit Kumar Palit, Kaveri Books, New Delhi,2011, pp.194-201
3. “Jaina Meditation: Self Purification Process Through Karmic Cycle” in Conference Proceeding First Drafts Ed. By Holvor Eifring, Cultural Histories of Meditation : Practice and Interpretation in a Global Perspective, 12-16 May, 2010, University of Oslo, Norway pp 449-469
4. “Capability Approach: Theory and Practice” in Morality and Social Justice, Ed. Abha Singh, Decent Books, New Delhi, 2010,pp62-73.
5. “Tradition, Globalization and Cultural Identity” in Buddhism and Its Social Significance For The Asian World, Ed. Andrea Loseries, Published by Buddhist World Press, Delhi, 2009, pp 153-159.
6. “Comparative Religion as an Academic Study in Contemporary India” (Abstract) in the Proceedings of the International Conference on “Rethinking Religion in India”, Published by Research Centre Ghent University, Belgium pp28-33, Jan. 2008.
7. “Religious Deontology and Consequential Analysis” in Indian Journal of Analytic Philosophy, Vol.1.1, 2007, Utkal University, pp 19-28
8. Abstract of “Bio- Ethical Issues: Jaina Perspectives and Prospects” published in the proceedings of the International Symposium on “Ethics, Culture and Population Genomics” in 34 Annual Conference of the Society of Human Genetics (ISHG) organized by Anthropological Survey of India and National Centre for Arts, New Delhi, 17-20 March, 2009
9. “Gender Inequality & Roles in India” Gender Inequality and Women’s Empowerment Ed. Asim Kumar Adhikary and R. Pramnik, Abhijeet Publishers, Delhi, 2006, pp11-20
10. “Practical Vedanta of Vivekananda & its Social Concern, Philosophical Deliberations: Essays in Honor of Prof. D.M. Datta Ed. R.C. Sinha, Janaki Prakashan, 2005, New Delhi 2005 Pp 176-182
11. “Capability Approach, Conscious Choices and Caring” The Book of ABSTRACTS, Interim World Philosophy Congress 2006, New Delhi 2006 pp 87-88
12. Individual and Community The Spirit of Indian and Western Philosophy Ed. R. Murali, Sandeep Prakashan, Delhi, 2006, pp 123-131
13. “Practical Vedanta of Vivekananda”, Anveeksha, Journal of Social Science and Humanities, Jabalpur, Vol.2, 2005, pp17-24.
14. “Peace Through Social Justice” in Understanding Philosophy Eastern and Western Perspective Ed. Manjulika Ghosh, Sandeep Prakashan, New Delhi, 2005, pp 249-263.
15. “Social Justice and Concept of Peace” in World Peace Problems of Global Understanding and Prospect of Harmony, Ed. Santi Nath Chattopadhyay, Punthi Pustak Kolkata, 2005, pp 697-710.
16. Book Review: B. Abdul Lathief: Philosophical Reflections, Mulberry Publications, 2002 in JICPR, Vol.21.3, 2004 (Published in 2005), pp 199-203.
17. “Professor Hajime Nakamura’s Concept of Asian Mind and its Essential Features” in Buddhist Thought and Culture with Special Reference to Thoughts and Works of Hajime Nakamura Ed. Prof. S.R. Bhatt, Originals, Delhi-110052, 2005
18. “Religious Deontology and Consequential Analysis” The Book of ABSTRACTS, IAHR Tokyo 2005, XIXth World Congress, University of Tokyo, 2005, p. 178
19. “Metodologia de la Economia: Sen y Cartright”. Revista Austuriana de Economia (RAE) Numero 28, 2003, pp 43-58 ( in Spainish)
20. “Moral Relativism: The Controversy and Solution” in Truth and Value Ed. Raghunath Ghosh, New Bhartiya Book Corporation, Delhi, India 2003, pp228-246
21. “A Note on Similarities Between Sartre and Gandhi”, Journal of Indian Council of Research, Vol. 20.2 April-June, 2003 p.201
22. “Ethics &Economics: Justice as the Criterion of Human Well-being” in Applied Ethics, Ed. A.P. Dubey, Northern Book Centre, 2004,pp 30-46
23. World view About the Tribal Vs Tribal World view: Some Moral Issues in Rationality and Tribal Thought, Ed. Sujata Miri, Mittal Publications, New Delhi, 2004 Pp 111-121
24. “Paradoxes of Objective Understanding in Hermeneutics”, in Language and Meaning, Ed. Raghunath Ghosh, Allied Publishers, 2003, pp203-218
25. “Civil Society: A Transpositional Understanding”, Indian Philosophical Quarterly, Vol. XXX.4, Oct. 2003
26. “Methodology of Economics: Sen and Cartwright” in Volume of Abstract 12th International Congress of Logic, Methodology and Philosophy of Science, Aug. 7-13, 2003, Oviedo,( Spain) Eds. Eva Alvarez, Roger Bosch and Lorena Villamil. Pp 445-446
27. “Peace and Social Justice”, Proceedings of Indian Philosophical Congress, Ed. Manjulika Ghosh, ICPR, 2003
28. “Quality of Life-Concept and its Concern” in Quality of Life, Eds .Biswanath Das and Gautam Bhattacharya, Visva-Bharati Organizing Committee 2003, pp 59-66
29. Abstract of Peace and Social Justice published in The Indian Philosophical Congress, 77th Session Oct.24-27, 2002 Ed. By S. Gopalan, 2002
30. Man and Environment: Some Moral Problems in Aspects of Environmental Studies, (ed) S. Mondal pp 39 – 45, 2002
31. Book Review Madhuri. Santanam Sondhi, Modernity, Morality and the Mahatma, Harananda Publications Pvt. Ltd., New Delhi, 1997, Journal of Indian Council of Philosophical Research, Vol. 18.1, 2001, pp 282-287.
32. Teaching Philosophy & Religion in India, Prabuddha Bharata, 106, July 2001, pp 366-369.
33. Gandhi and the Problem of Modernity: A point of Departure, Civil Society in Indian Cultures Indian Philosophical Studies, I, Eds. Asha Mukherjee, S. Sen & K. Bagchi, The Council for Research in Values and Philosophy, Washington D.C. 2001, pp5-12.
34. Problem of Modernity and Gandhi- A Point of Departure in Social Transformation in Rural Sector, Eds. S.D. Mukhopadhyay & S. Choudhury, Institute of Agriculture, Visva Bharati, 2000.
35. Ananda Shankar Madhvan Ki Pashchatya Darshnikon Se Sambaddha Kritiyan, in Ananda Shankar Madhvan Ki Saraswat Sadhna, Ed. S.R. Tiwari, Amravati, Mandar Vidyapith, 1999.
36. Moral Paradoxes and Default Logic, in the Proceedings of The Society for Asian and Comparative Philosophy, 1999.
37. Book Review, In Search of a Moral Criterion, Tirthnath Bandhyopadhyay, Papyrus, Calcutta India, Indian Philosophical Quarterly, 25.4, 1998.
38. Book Review, Induction, Probability and Skepticism, D.P. Chattopadhyay, Visva Bharati Quarterly, 1995.
39. Book Review, Tolerance in Indian Culture, Ed. R. Balasubramanian, Indian Council of Philosophical Research, New Delhi, 1992, Journal of Indian Council of Philosophical Research, XI.2, 1994
40. Does Moral Relativism Imply Scepticism? Scepticism, Ed. Kalyan Bagchi, Visva Bharati, 1989.
41. On Relativity of Values, Visva Bharati Journal of Philosophy, 23, 1987.
42. Ontological Argument, Paschatya Darshan Ka Itihas, Vol. 2. Ed. Daya Krishna, Hindi Grantha Acadamy, Jaipur, 1984.
43. T.D. Perry on Legal Reasoning, Rabindra Bharati Journal of Philosophy, 1983-84.
44. Ontological Commitment, Visva Bharati Journal of Philosophy, 15, 1983.
45. The Meaning of Modal Concepts, (Hindi) Paramarsha, 3, 1983.
46. Book Review, Pashchatya Darshan Ka Itihas, Vol. I Ed. Daya Krishna, Hindi Grantha Academy, Jaipur, 1980, Visva Bharati Journal of Philosophy, 13, 1982.
47. The Philosophical Relevance of Ethnomethodology, Darshnik Treimasik, 3-4, 1981.
48. On Analytic Synthetic Distinction, Indian Philosophical Quarterly, 8, 1981.
49. Naturalistic Fallacy and Definition, Indian Philosophical Quarterly, 7, 1980.
50. Book Review, Naturalistic Ethical Theory, V.K. Bharadwaja, Delhi University Press, 1978, Philosophica, 8, 1979
51. Nature of Imperatives, Proceedings of Indian Philosophical Congress, 1979.
52. Logic of Imperatives, Samadarshana, 4, 1978.
Major Research Projects:
Completed:

i. Default Logic and Moral Paradoxes, Supported by UGC (1997-2000)
ii. R.M. Hare’s Language of Morals (translation in Hindi) Supported by Indian Council for Philosophical Research
iii. Amartya Sen and Contemporary Philosophy: A major Research Project supported by UGC (co-Investigator).
iv. Cultural Heritage and Contemporary Change: Philosophical Foundation Of Social Life in Civil Society in India partially supported by Council For Research in Values and Philosophy, Washington, US. One of my Edited Volume is published by CRVP, 2001, Civil Society: Indian Philosophical Studies Vol. I

Ongoing:

i. Amartya Sen: Philosophical Papers editing a collection of papers by Prof. Amartya Sen written on philosophical topics (From Indian Perspective)
ii. Religious Deontology, was partially sported by Visva-Bharati
iii. Contribution of Women in Ashram Life of Santiniketan (From 1901-2000)
iv. Translation of Schlomith F. Flaum,s biography of R. Tagore from Hibru to English (Jointly with Gur Leveh from Israel)
v. Academic Study of Religion in India: Concept, History and Importance
vi. Go: India Project Gothenburg India Academic Network Representative of Partner Institutions -Visva-Bharat University 2011-13
Other Professional Activities:
• Vice Principal, Vidya Bhavana (Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences) 1983-84
• Vice Principal, Vidya Bhavana (Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences) 1989-92
• Executive Member, Indian Association for Logic and Philosophy of Science, Jaipur
• Member, Vidya Bhavana Admission Committee 1992-97
• Member, Vidya Bhavana Hostel Accommodation Committee 1994-97
• Jt. Coordinator, UGC sponsored All India Refresher Courses on Metaphysics, Feb. 2-22, 1995
• Jt. Director, Karl Popper Seminar on Explanation and Prediction, Feb. 22-23, 1996
• Jt. Director, Colloquium on Empowerment and Status of Women, Feb. 1996
• Director, Colloquium on Pluralism and Cultural Conflict which was jointly organized by Visva Bharati and CRVP, Washington, DC.19-21Dec., 1996
• Coordinator, Girl’s Hostels, Visva Bharati, 1995-1997.
• Jt. Coordinator, UGC Sponsored All India Refresher Course on Ethics and Social Philosophy, 5-25 March, 1999
• Member, Institute Board, Vidya Bhavana, Since 2001
• Member, Sexual Harassment Committee, Visva Bharati, ,Since 2000
• Member, WAVES (World Association For Vedic Studies, Inc, USA) Since 2001
• Member, IPPNO (International Philosophers for Peace) VA, USA, Since 2001
• Treasurer, Academy of Comparative Religion India, Santiniketan Chapter for 2002-2006
• Convener, Daya Krishna Nibandha Pratiyogita by the Foundation, from 2003
• Director, Colloquium on Person and the Challenges of Modernity in India and ICPR lectures by G.F.McLean funded by ICPR New Delhi, 5-6 Feb.2004
• Director, Asian University for Women Conference, Funded by AUW Foundation, US, Jan. 2003
• Coordinator for UGC Refresher Course in Philosophy on Perspectives in Logic: Indian and Western, 30 Oct.-19 Nov. 2003 organized by Dept. of Philosophy and Religion, Visba-Bharati
• Executive Member, Indian Association for Study of Religion (IASR), An associate body of International Association of History of Religion (IAHR), 2004
• Organized Akhil Bharatiya Darshan Parishad Meeting at Visva Bharati,12-14 Sept. 1996 and delivered Sectional Presidential Address on “Hintikka’s Epistemic Logic –An Exposition”(in Hindi)
• Organized and participated in the International Conference on Asian University for Women at Visva Bahrati, 30 Jan. 2003-1 Feb. 2003
• Asian University for Women Syllabus Committee Member for Humanities and Social Sciences (meeting held on 13 March 2004 at Hamdard University, Delhi).
• External Member of the Post Graduate Studies, Assam University, Silcher, Assam 2004-6
• Member, Human Development & Capability Association, MA 02138, USA, 2005
• Chaired an Organized panel on “Structures of Salvation in Indian Tradition”, at XIXth World Congress of IAHR organized by Department of Religious Studies, University of Tokyo, in Tokyo Japan on 28 March, 2005
• Served on the Book Selection Committee as an Expert member, The National Library, Kolkata
• Member of the Expert Committee for evaluation of UGC Minor Research Projects.
• Member of the Expert Committee for Union Public Service Commission, Delhi
• Appointed on the Professional Women’s Advisory Board, American Biographical Institute
• In-charge, Women's Studies Cell, Visva-Bharati, 1999-2009
• External Expert on the Board of Studies, Department of Indian Philosophy and Religion, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi. 2006-8
• External Expert on the Board of Post-Graduate Studies, Department of Philosophy, North Eastern Hill University, Varanasi. 2008-11
• External Expert on the Board of Studies, Department of Philosophy, Rajasthan University, 2008-10
• Advisory Board Member (External) Buddhist Studies, Hyderabad University, Hyderabad, 2010
• Advisory Board Member (Internal) Centre for Buddhist Studies, Visva-Bharati, from 2008
• Nominated Member of the Institute Board of Bhasha Bhavana, Visva-Bharati, 2010
• Chairperson, Sexual Harassment Cell, Visva-Bharati, From July, 2010
• Visiting Professor, 12 April-23 April, 2010 Department of Religious Studies, University of Lausanne
• Visiting Professor, 25 April-10 May, 2010, Department of Asian Studies, Tel-Aviv University, Israel