Not with a Ten-Foot Pole? A Mutually Enriching Dialogue Between Whitehead and Śaṅkara on Causation

Abstract

This article brings together Alfred North Whitehead and Śaṅkara, the eminent eighth-century teacher of Advaita Vedanta, in a dialogue on causation. After arguing that comparative philosophical encounter is possible, the article investigates how Whitehead might benefit Śaṅkara in his critique of the Buddhist doctrine of momentariness and how Śaṅkara may assist Whitehead in responding to criticisms of his own doctrine of causation and his critique of Hume.