Rate My Professor Anand Vaidya

Anand Vaidya was a Professor of Philosophy in the Department of Philosophy at San Jose State University, serving from 2005 to 2024. He began as Assistant Professor from 2005 to 2010, advanced to Associate Professor from 2010 to 2015, and was promoted to Professor from 2015 onward. Vaidya directed the Center for Comparative Philosophy at San Jose State University from 2010 to 2015 and 2013 to 2019, and served on its Executive Committee for the 2022-2025 term. Additionally, he held the position of Visiting Professor of Indian Philosophy of Mind and Knowledge at the University of California, Los Angeles starting in 2024. His academic background includes a Ph.D. in Philosophy from the University of California, Santa Barbara (2005), a B.A. in Philosophy from the University of California, Los Angeles (1998), and undergraduate studies in Philosophy at Humboldt State University (1994-1996).

Vaidya's research focused on the epistemology of modality, essence, and grounding; cross-cultural and multi-disciplinary philosophy of mind and epistemology, particularly integrating classical Indian traditions such as Nyāya and Vedānta with analytic philosophy; critical thinking education; philosophy of logic; and the philosophy of artificial intelligence, including moral standing and consciousness. He co-edited several anthologies, including The Epistemology of Modality and Philosophical Methodology (Routledge, 2023), Business in Ethical Focus: An Anthology (Broadview Press, 2nd ed., 2018; 1st ed., 2008), and Professions in Ethical Focus: An Anthology (Broadview Press, 2nd ed., 2019; 1st ed., 2008). Notable peer-reviewed articles include "Essence, Explanation, and Modality" with Michael Wallner (Philosophy, 2020), "The Epistemology of Modality and the Problem of Modal Epistemic Friction" with Michael Wallner (Synthese, 2018), "Epistemology in Classical Indian Philosophy" with Stephen Phillips (Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, 2024), and "Multi-Factor Causal Disjunctivism: A Nyāya Informed Account of Perceptual Disjunctivism" (Sophia, 2021). Vaidya delivered lectures on consciousness, AI ethics, and cross-cultural epistemology at venues such as the University of Hong Kong, Oxford Centre for Hindu Studies, and University of Leeds. He participated in National Endowment for the Humanities summer programs on self-knowledge and experimental philosophy.