Georgetown University, USA

 

Georgetown’s resources in cross-cultural philosophy were established when Erin Cline, Associate Professor of Comparative Ethics, arrived in 2009. Prof. Cline is a comparative philosopher who works on Chinese and Western philosophy and religion. She is an associate member of the Philosophy Department, but her primary appointment is in Theology; she also works with the Asian Studies program and is a faculty fellow in the Berkley Center for Religion, Peace, and World Affairs. Prof. Cline regularly teaches Asian Philosophies, Chinese Philosophy, and Comparative Ethics, as well as a variety of other electives for both undergraduate and graduate students who are interested in Chinese and comparative philosophy. 

A number of faculty who teach in areas related to cross-cultural philosophy are members of the Theology Department at Georgetown, which offers a Ph.D. focused on Religious Pluralism and aims to give students training in two traditions. Faculty who offer regular courses on different traditions that are helpful for students interested in cross-cultural philosophy include Francisca Cho and Brandon Dotson, both specialists in Buddhism; Paul Heck and Daniel Madigan, who specialize in Islam and Christianity; and Jonathan Ray and Julia Watts-Belser, who specialize in Judaism.  

Faculty members in a variety of other departments and programs at Georgetown also offer courses that provide an excellent background for students who are interested in cross-cultural philosophy. Especially noteworthy resources include the History Department, the Department of East Asian Language and Cultures, the Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding, the Center for Contemporary Arab Studies, the Berkley Center for Religion, Peace, and World Affairs, the Program for Jewish Civilization, the Department of Arab and Islamic Studies, and the Asian Studies Program (which is a part of the School of Foreign Service).  Additionally, the office of Global Engagement at Georgetown serves to provide support for a variety of initiatives across the university, all focused on addressing critical global issues through research and teaching.

 

—Erin Cline, Georgetown University, USA