The School of Philosophy and Culture (SoPC) of Shri Mata Vaishno Devi University (SMVDU) Katra, organized the 5th ICPR Study Circle Meeting on 6th Dec. 2021, sponsored by the Indian Council of Philosophical Research (ICPR), New Delhi. On this occasion Dr. Nilanjan Das. Lecturer in Philosophy, Department of Philosophy, University College London, UK, was invited to deliver an online talk. The session began with a welcome address by Mr. Sumanta S. Sharma, Head, SoPC.
Dr. Nilanjan spoke on the theme “Vasubandhu on the First Person”. He observed that, in classical South Asia, most philosophers thought that the self (if it exists at all) is what the first-person pronoun “I” stands for. Dr. Nilanjan presented one Buddhist answer to this question, an answer that emerges from the work of the Abhidharma thinker, Vasubandhu (4th-5th century CE). The talk was followed by an intensive discussion. More than 20 participants from various parts of the country attended the session which was a research-oriented discussion. The meeting was coordinated by Dr. Anil Tewari, Faculty, SoPC, SMVDU.