Geoffrey Ashton

Geoffrey Ashton is a Professor and Department Chair in the Department of Philosophy at the University of San Francisco. He holds a PhD in Asian and Comparative Philosophy from the University of Hawai’i at Mānoa, along with advanced degrees in Philosophy and South Asian Studies from the University of Hawai’i and the University of Chicago. His research focuses on Indian Philosophy of Nature, Buddhist Ethics, and Comparative Aesthetics. He has conducted extensive fieldwork across Asia as a Fulbright scholar, collaborating with institutions in India, Thailand, and Spain. Ashton’s work critiques modern scientific assumptions about nature through the lens of Sāṃkhya philosophy, and explores Thai Buddhist approaches to social engagement. His current projects include revising a manuscript on Sāṃkhya naturalism and analyzing mimesis in Indian art theory.

Key research areas include Indian Philosophy, Buddhist Philosophy, and comparative studies in ethics and aesthetics. His publications span journals like Philosophy East and West, Dao: A Journal of Comparative Philosophy, and edited volumes on global philosophical dialogues. He has been supported by grants such as the Fulbright-Nehru Award and Chulalongkorn University’s Thai Studies initiative. Ashton’s interdisciplinary work bridges South Asian, European, and Asian philosophical traditions, emphasizing phenomenological and existential perspectives.

• Education:
  • PhD, Philosophy (Asian and Comparative), University of Hawai’i at Mānoa
  • MA, Philosophy (Indian Philosophy), University of Hawai’i at Mānoa
  • MA, South Asian Languages (Sanskrit), University of Chicago
• Awards:
  • Fulbright-Nehru Academic and Professional Excellence Award (2015-2017)
• Grants:
  • Project of Empowering Network for International Thai Studies (Chulalongkorn University)

Ashton’s research methodologies involve comparative frameworks blending Sanskrit texts with Western philosophers like Goethe and Ortega y Gasset. He has presented globally, including in Europe and Asia, and his teaching emphasizes cross-cultural philosophy and ethical reasoning.