Philosophy/Expert Profile

Expertise

I can answer questions concerning Eastern (Oriental) philosophies and philosophers (Indian, Tibetan, Indonesian, Chinese, Korean, Japanese, Vietnamese: Hinduist, Buddhist, Confucianist, Taoist and other; alas not Islamic or Jewish) - both in terms of notions and facts (history of their development). I can write in English, French, Esperanto, Polish and Russian, German, Dutch and Norwegian. I can also understand questions in Spanish and Italian.

Experience in the area

I have been teaching Indian and Chinese philosophies since 1987 and in 2000 I started a project on Oriental philosophies within the scope of the Universal Encyclopedia of Philosophy (Powszechna Encyklopedia Filozofii) published in Polish by SITA-PL (7 volumes, A-Pan, published 2000-2006, containing ca. 300 entries in Eastern philosophies, written by a team of a dozen of Polish scholars).

Organizations

The Catholic University of Lublin (KUL), Poland, History of Philosophy Department

Publications

Several publications in Polish; in English: The Origin of the World according to Rigveda (Montreal 1996), Contributions to the History of the Buddhist Classifications of Dharmas: Pancavastuka of Vasumitra (Bulletin, Polish Institute and Library, Montreal 1997)

Education/Credentials

philosophy (KUL, Lublin, 1976-81); M.A. in history of Indian philosophy (KUL, 1981); Ph.D. in history of Indian philosophy (KUL, 1989); other studies: Indian and Chinese philosophies (Institut Catholique, Paris, 1985-6); Tibetan language (INALCO, Paris, 1985-6); Chinese language (McGill University, Montreal, 1995-7)

What do you like about this subject?

Philo-sophy (love of wisdom),in Chinese zhe-xue (the learning of the wise),in Sanskrit darshana (wise vision) -what else can you expect better from life than to be wise? To understand life, world, oneself -is only human. To try to understand them the way they are understood by those who seem to be different from ourselves -is to widen your culture.

What do you still hope to achieve/learn in this field?

I hope to widen my knowledge of those areas of Eastern philosophies that are almost unknown (as Thai or Burmese) or little explored so far (as Vietnamese, Korean, Indonesian).

Something interesting about this subject that others may not know:

If you find fascinating following the ways other men interprete the world, here (in the "East") you'll find a mine of fresh, wonderful, interesting, inspiring views.

Something controversial or provocative about this subject

1.Philosophy is teaching YOU think independently. That's why sometimes I do not answer your question directly but rather force you to find out the answer by and in yourself. 2.Contrary to Kipling's: "East is East - and West is West, and twain will never meet", the more you know them the more you find out that neither East is only East nor West is only West - there is a plurality everywhere.