Dr Shalini Sinha

Shalini is a global philosopher who approaches social and political issues which are both globally and personally relevant such as race, gender, debt, war and terrorism using cross-cultural philosophy to develop new perspectives. To establish a cross-cultural view, Shalini teaches Global and non-Western Philosophy.

Global Philosophy

To develop alternative approaches to contemporary issues we need to understand the core concepts and ideas of other philosophical cultures and traditions, before we can have a dialogue about how these might be used to tackle or resolve issues.

Working with students

By integrating philosophical perspectives from a variety of cultures, Shalini encourages a dialogue with her students at the University of Reading about how these different approaches can be used to tackle current issues.

Shalini encourages her students to use real-world examples in their work. For example, when looking at gender, students may pick an issue from the media on gender assignment, or differentiating gender on the basis of biological features such as hormone levels at the Olympics. Students investigate these issues using approaches from feminist philosophy and then proceed to compare these with the Buddhist perspectives on gender and identity.

Broaden your mind

Cross-cultural conversations broaden the perspective of both partners in the conversation, allowing new ideas and approaches to arise. Shalini believes that every tradition has its limitations, and thus philosophical conversation across different cultures is mutually enriching.

By questioning core concepts and beliefs we take for granted, and by approaching contemporary issues with a broader and more philosophical mindset, Shalini believes that we can positively impact attitudes and help to achieve social change.

"My own multicultural background instilled a need in me to take account of different traditions and cultures, and to realise that there just one truth and one approach."