Kumar Archit Pandey

Archit is a Ph.D. student in Political Science at the University of Washington, Seattle. His research examines the epistemology of political resistance, bringing Karl Popper and Roger Scruton into sustained dialogue, building on his Master’s dissertation on postmodernism, subjectivity, and authority. His broader interests in contemporary political philosophy include the work of thinkers such as Rawls, Nozick, Popper, Walzer, Berlin, Arendt, Voegelin, Scruton, Maritain, among others.

His comparative interests bridge Western and Indian philosophical thought, with particular attention to thinkers ranging from Kautilya and Bhartṛhari to Abhinavagupta and Tulsidas, while extending to Ancient Graeco-Roman, Medieval Christian, Islamic, and Chinese traditions. He is also the founder and a life member of the Coomaraswamy Foundation, an organization devoted to the study of the Perennial School of Philosophy, particularly the thought of Coomaraswamy, Guénon, Schuon, Nasr, Weil, Pallis, and related scholars.

Archit has qualified India’s national UGC-NET examination four times, including a 100th percentile result in Political Science. From 2023 to 2025, he worked as a researcher with the Indian Political Science Association. Outside his scholarly pursuits, he enjoys cinematography and staying active—playing cricket competitively, basketball recreationally, and badminton casually, alongside regular weight training. He also follows football, Formula 1, and tennis. An enthusiastic conversationalist, he enjoys talking at length and is consciously practicing the art of becoming an equally good listener.