sastravid

Sastravid: A New Paradigm for the Study of Indian Philosophy

(European Research Council)

Since October 2010 the Department of Philosophy at the University of Durham is hosting a four-year research project on Indian philosophical texts funded by the European Research Council. The aim of this project, led by Dr. Jan Westerhoff, is to construct a new electronic framework for the encoding of Indian philosophical texts, together with a newly developed method of displaying and analyzing the texts' contents. Further details about the project are available here. Associated with the project are four positions, two researchers and two PhD students, to be appointed from 1st October 2011.

Research Positions for Sastravid

The first researcher (R 1) will hold a graduate degree in Oriental studies and will have excellent knowledge of Sanskrit as well as specific experience with working on Sanskrit philosophical texts. R 1 will be responsible for encoding Sanskrit philosophical texts as part of the project, establishing adequate linkage between texts, translations, and commentaries and will supply philological notes on the texts.

The second researcher (R2) will hold a graduate degree in Oriental studies and will have excellent knowledge of Classical Tibetan as well as specific experience with working on Tibetan philosophical texts. R 2 will be responsible for encoding Tibetan philosophical texts as part of the project, establishing adequate linkage between texts, translations, and commentaries and will supply philological notes on the texts.

The first PhD student (PhD 1) will study for the doctoral degree at the Department of Philosophy at the University of Durham under the supervision of the principal investigator, Dr Jan Westerhoff. The research of PhD 1 will focus on philosophical problems raised by texts studied in the project, in particular the Mulamadhyamaka-karika and the Buddhapalita-vrtti. PhD 1 is expected to hold a degree in Buddhist Studies or Philosophy and to possess good reading knowledge of Sanskrit and some knowledge of Classical Tibetan. PhD 1 will contribute textual notes to the texts encoded as part of the project, including the description and analysis of arguments, identification of quotations and parallel passages, supply bibliographical information and collate information from commentaries, both traditional and modern, monographs, and journal articles.

The second PhD student (PhD 2) will study for the doctoral degree at the Department of Philosophy at the University of Durham under the supervision of the principal investigator, Dr Jan Westerhoff. The research of PhD 2 will focus on philosophical problems raised by texts studied in the project, in particular the Madhyamakavatara and associated commentaries. PhD 2 is expected to hold a degree in Buddhist Studies or Philosophy and possess good reading knowledge of Classical Tibetan and some knowledge of Sanskrit. PhD 2 will contribute textual notes to the texts encoded as part of the project, including the description and analysis of arguments, identification of quotations and parallel passages, supply bibliographical information and collate information from commentaries, both traditional and modern, monographs, and journal articles.

For more information on these positions please contact Dr Jan Westerhoff.