Akeel Bilgrami

Akeel Bilgrami (1950-present) is the Sidney Morgenbesser Professor of Philosophy at Columbia University, known for his influential work bridging philosophy of mind, language, and religion. Born in India, Bilgrami has developed a distinctive approach to religious belief that emphasizes the role of cultural context and practical identity in shaping concepts of God and faith. His critique of both scientific naturalism and traditional theology offers a third way that grounds religious concepts in lived experience and social practices rather than metaphysical speculation. In works such as "Secularism, Identity, and Enchantment" (2014), Bilgrami argues for a form of secular enchantment that preserves meaning and value without supernatural commitments. His analysis of how belief in God functions within broader frameworks of self-understanding and cultural identity has significantly influenced contemporary debates about religion, secularism, and modernity, particularly regarding the relationship between Western and non-Western philosophical traditions.