Prof. Vineet Sahu’s life journey is a fascinating tapestry woven with unexpected turns—each one leading him closer to his true intellectual and philosophical core. From studying hotel management to joining the Indian Army, and finally immersing himself in the world of academia, his trajectory reflects a deep alignment with an inner calling that defied conventional expectations. 

Born into a naval family, Vineet was schooled across Mumbai, Visakhapatnam, and Odisha, adapting seamlessly to the disciplined and itinerant life of a defence household. Being a Biology teacher’s son, he inherited the scientific temper from his mother both at school and home. Thereafter he shifted tracks after his 12th standard and enrolled at the Institute of Hotel Management in Bhubaneswar, training at the prestigious Taj Bengal with dreams of becoming a hotelier. 

However, life had other plans. The devastating Odisha super cyclone of 1999 proved to be a moment of profound introspection. Moved by the fragility and uncertainty of life, Vineet sought deeper meaning and making sense of the big picture of life, not just his life. He looked for answers in books and turned to academics. He enrolled at Banaras Hindu University for a Master’s in Philosophy. 

In Pursuit of Deeper Meaning 

Another twist came when he cleared the Combined Defence Services Examination and joined the Officer Training Academy in Chennai. But the world of uniforms again fell short of his inner resonance. He resigned and returned to philosophy, and spent a few months of long aimless reading in the Central library of Katak, his hometown. It is here that the encounter with texts on humanity and existence sparked his lifelong fascination with philosophical thought. He then turned to pursue his master’s degree from the University of Hyderabad—a decision that proved to be pivotal. It was here that Vineet's intellectual romance with philosophy deepened. The fantastic teachers and the serene library of the University turned the spark into flames! He went on to complete a Ph.D. in 2008, working on the problem of personal identity - of working out a philosophical model of what makes a human person identical, if at all, over a period of time. This question, like many philosophical questions, haunts humanity perennially. But there is no disappointment in questions being perennial, they are not unsolvable, rather they are continuously solved in context for each epoch and person and these interrogations build and articulate one’s narrative of life. He later moved to ethics and political philosophy and currently he is working in the Philosophy of Religion and Indian Philosophy. “Religion is popularly seen as a binary—either accepted or rejected. I wanted to explore a category that takes religion seriously without reducing it to belief or disbelief,” he explains. 

Prof. Sahu’s research also spans two major areas. The first explores the philosophy of social sciences, with a focus on conceptual methodology—an attempt to understand how we know what we claim to know. “Philosophy is a second-order inquiry—it’s about refining the very methods by which knowledge is constructed,” he notes. 

His second research focus is in ethics, particularly the moral implications of emerging technologies like Artificial Intelligence. As AI increasingly influences human life, Prof. Sahu examines how fundamental notions such as autonomy, responsibility, and agency must be reimagined to suit this new paradigm. 

Drawing from India’s civilizational depth, he is also exploring ethical frameworks embedded in ancient epics. “The epics are more than stories—they are philosophical reservoirs. They help us trace the trajectory of moral theorizing across time,” he says, emphasizing the contextual and culturally rooted understanding of ethics. 

Outside academia, Prof. Sahu leads a life enriched by passion and creativity. A motoring enthusiast, he first learned the basics of driving as a five-year-old, sitting behind the wheel of his father’s car. His hotel management background also makes cooking a natural and joyful activity. And true to the hazards of being a philosopher, he enjoys his own company and has an insatiable thirst for observing life. He sometimes refers to himself as a ten year old attitudinally, and he relishes and hopes to preserve the wondering and unhardened mind of a child! 

Prof. Sahu’s journey is a testament to the value of intellectual courage and introspection. At every crossroad, he chose the path that resonated with his inner truth rather than external expectations. Today, as a scholar deeply engaged in ethics, technology, and ancient wisdom, he stands as an example of how following one’s inner compass can lead to a life of purpose, depth, and contribution. And, he still celebrates U-turns in life - he calls it a sign of being alive!