Gauḍīya cosmopsychism: a Gauḍīya Vedāntic approach to the cosmopsychist Individuation Problem
Asian Journal of Philosophy June 17, 2026 DOI: 10.1007/s44204-026-00414-y via Springer Nature
Summary
A philosophical paper examines the metaphysics of consciousness through the Mādhva Gauḍīya Vedānta tradition of Caitanya Vaiṣṇavism. It finds that while this Hindu school shares cosmopsychism's view of universal consciousness, it maintains a dualist metaphysics. The tradition posits the jīvātmā as an eternal individual consciousness, dependent on yet ontologically distinct from the paramātmā. The interplay between these conscious principles and an inert material matrix (prakṛti) is proposed as a model for probing mind-matter relations. The conception of "dual consciousness" spanning unified and individuated domains offers insights into resolving the "Individuation Problem" within cosmopsychist frameworks.
Study at a glance
| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Keywords | Gauḍīya Consciousness Cosmopsychism Vedānta |
| Key finding | The Mādhva Gauḍīya Vedānta tradition's dualist conception of consciousness, with an eternal individual jīvātmā dependent on but distinct from the universal paramātmā, offers insights into resolving the Individuation Problem in cosmopsychism. |
Abstract
This paper explores the metaphysics of consciousness through the lens of Mādhva Gauḍīya Vedānta, a Hindu philosophical tradition within Caitanya Vaiṣṇavism. It primarily examines how this school’s concepts relate to contemporary cosmopsychism. While resonating with cosmopsychist views of universal consciousness, the Gauḍīya perspective maintains a dualist metaphysics. It posits the jīvātmā as an eternal individual consciousness, dependent on yet ontologically distinct from the paramātmā . The interplay between conscious principles ( paramātmā and jīvātmā ) and an inert material matrix ( prakṛti ) is proposed as a model for probing mind-matter relations. It suggests that the Mādhva Gauḍīya tradition’s conception of “dual consciousness” spanning unified and individuated domains offers insights into resolving key unresolved issues within cosmopsychist frameworks, especially the “Individuation Problem”.