Sophia College for Women
(Empowered Autonomous)
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Senior College

PHILOSOPHY


“All men naturally desire knowledge” so says Aristotle. Philosophical questions come to us from our sense of wonder about the universe and our place in it for We are naturally curious about everything, and we desire to know and understand things. We want to be wise rather than plain ignorant. Whenever we think deeply and consistently about our beliefs, concepts, principles, theories, morals, or ways of living, we are doing philosophy. ‘What is the right way to live? What do I owe to myself, to others and to
society? What kinds of lives are good and meaningful?’ These are the most obvious and frequently asked among philosophical questions; however, reflective people are also likely to wonder about matters such as the ‘nature of the universe, whether mind is separate from body, the nature and extent of human rights, the best political organisation for society’, and much more.
At Sophia College, philosophy seeks to address some of these questions, not to answer them in any definitive way, to provide material – suggestions, considerations, arguments – that might be useful in seeking answers. Doing philosophy is also about the realisation that sometimes, when there are no answers, exploring the questions can by itself bring a great gain in understanding and insight.


About the Department:
The Department is one of the oldest departments of the College and was established in 1942. Today it boasts of student strength of above 100 students at the First Year level and around 40 students at the Third Year Level. The department encourages students to take philosophy as an academic discipline seriously and to pursue higher studies and research in philosophy. The department has produced a 1st Rank holder, Ms.  Sumdhima Rai (2003-04) and 3rd Rank holder, Ms Sweta Narsale (2011-12) at the TYBA Mumbai University Examinations

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Dr. Trevor Allis
Associate Professor 
Full Time Lecturer
MA, PhD, MBA (HR); Head of Department, Former member of Board of Studies in Logic and Philosophy, Mumbai University; Former member of Faculty of Arts, Mumbai University

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Dr. Trevor Allis is Associate Professor and Head, Department of Philosophy; he has been teaching at Sophia College since 1994. He was conferred the Ph. D degree in 2005 by University of Mumbai for his thesis “A.J. Ayer’s Concept of Person: An Examination”; he also has a MBA degree in Human Resource Development and Management (2008) from the University of Mumbai.

Dr. Allis’ areas of expertise are analytic philosophy, modern western epistemology and moral and applied moral philosophy. His other broad areas of special interest are social and political philosophy and philosophy of science. He views philosophy as an ‘activity’ but not an ‘armchair’ exercise; and is inspired by the German philosopher Karl Marx’s slogan: “the philosophers have only interpreted the world, in various ways; the point, however, is to change it.” Dr. Allis serves as a member on the Board of Studies in Logic and Philosophy, University of Mumbai and Member of Faculty of Arts, University of Mumbai.

(Late) Dr Roymon T.C.
Assistant Professor
Full Time Lecturer
B.A in English, Economics and History), B.Ph, B.Th., Diplomas (in Computer Automation, Buddhism), M.A. (in English), M.A. (in Philosophy) and Ph.D (in Philosophy)

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He is associated with the Dept. of Philosophy as Asst. Professor at Sophia College from November 2011. He serves also as Deputy Director (Honorary) to CSSS-IPSCR, Mumbai and Visiting faculty to Dept. of Philosophy, Mumbai University teaching Continental Philosophy, Philosophy of Consciousness, Moral Philosophy (Western) and Contemporary Indian Philosophy at postgraduate levels, and Jainology and Vallabh Vedanta at Certificate- Diploma levels. He lectures on Foundation Course, Indian-Western Philosophy, Philosophy of Religion, Living Ethical Issues and Philosophy of Yoga to B.A students of the college.

His PhD research is on “Transcendental Idealist Method in Kant and Shankara: A Comparison.” Other research works include “Kantian vision of Peace,” “Mystic traditions of the world” etc. Along with many articles published in journals and books on Religion, Theology and Philosophy, he is the author of The Divine- Human Communion, Heritage of Harmony and Gateway of Peace: A Sojourn through Religious Traditions. His special interests in philosophy are Epistemology, Comparative Philosophy, Cross-cultural Philosophy, Philosophy of Religion and Indian-Western Philosophy. What excites him most is teaching Philosophy, commitment to global peace, and writing poetry.

Mr. Amit Hattiangadi 
Assistant Professor
Full Time Lecturer
M.A. in Philosophy (University of Mumbai)
B.A. Majors-Philosophy (Mithibai College of Arts)
Certified IELTS (International English Language Testing System) Trainer

 

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Amit Hattiangadi joined the Department of Philosophy as an Assistant Professor in 2023. Specializing in Analytical Philosophy, Western Modern and Contemporary Philosophy, Western Ethics, and Logic, they bring a rigorous and structured approach to academic inquiry. Their core scholarship focuses on guiding students through the foundational frameworks of human thought, the mechanics of sound reasoning, and classical ethical analysis. Expanding on these traditional foundations, they are actively pursuing parallel research in AI ethics, exploring the moral boundaries, societal impacts, and philosophical challenges posed by emerging artificial intelligence technologies.

In addition to their philosophical work, he is an accomplished language expert with five years of experience specializing in IELTS preparation. By integrating the analytical clarity of philosophy with advanced language coaching, they have successfully helped numerous students master international English proficiency, with a particular focus on high-level writing and speaking strategies. This unique dual expertise allows them to foster both deep critical thinking and exceptional communication skills, preparing students to articulate complex ideas effectively on a global stage.

Dakshi Neman

M.A. in Philosophy (with a specialisation in Logic-Based Therapy) (Ramnarain Ruia Autonomous College)

B.A. Majors - Philosophy (D.G. Ruparel College of Arts, Science, and Commerce)

 

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