Raja Rosenhagen is an Associate Professor of Philosophy at Ashoka University. He earned his Ph.D. in Philosophy in 2018 from the University of Pittsburgh, joined Ashoka as Assistant Professor in 2018, and was granted tenure and promoted to Associate Professor in 2023. He also holds an M.A. from the University of Münster in Philosophy, Indian Studies, and Psychology. His interests are broad and include Philosophy of Mind (especially Perception), Metaphysics and Epistemology, Philosophy of Science, History of Philosophy, Logic, Philosophy of Love, Indian Philosophy (especially Buddhism, Bhakti, and Jaina Philosophy), and Philosophical Counselling. Since his last name is too long and unusual, his students call him “Professor Raja.”
Professor Raja is convinced that experience can be shaped by background beliefs, values, and other cognitive and non-cognitive states and explores the implications this has for the role of experience both in theoretical and practical philosophy, but also in areas that go beyond philosophy and in which experience is credited with an important role. He is currently working on a essays in epistemology and philosophy of mind as well as on a book that ties together pretty much all his interests through the lens of Iris Murdoch’s work.
From 2019-2022, Professor Raja served as Ashoka’s Associate Dean of Academic Affairs (ADAA).
Between July 2021 and June 2022, he also took on the role of Head of the Philosophy Department.
Currently, Professor Raja is on extended leave. After a sabbatical year from 2022-23, which he spent as Visiting Lecturer at the University of Pittsburgh, he is now doing some research on Jain Philosophy while serving as the University of Pittsburgh’s inaugural Bhagawan Vasu Pujya Swami post-doctoral fellow in Jain Studies.
Apart from philosophy, Professor Raja cares most about his wife and his twin girls, is interested in Āyurveda, likes to cook (vegetarian), listen to music (Jazz, World Music, Indian classical), and to play the piano. He also has a passion for learning languages and as rumour has it, he tries to pick up a new one every other year or so.
