[INDOLOGY] Karl Harrington Potter (1927-2022)

[Frank F. Conlon]

Dear Colleagues:

The following obituary for Karl Potter has been posted on H-Asia. I thought it might reach some others who knew Karl on the Indology list. Note the zoom memorial session this coming Sunday.

Frank Conlon
University of Washington
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Karl Harrington Potter (19 August 1927 – 11 January 2022)



It is my sad duty to report the passing of Karl Harrington Potter, Professor Emeritus of Philosophy and South Asian Studies at the University of Washington on January 11, 2022 in Bothell, WA. He was a universally recognized and respected scholar on the philosophical systems of India.  Author of numerous articles, he published Presuppositions of Indian Philosophies (Englewood Cliffs, N.J., 1963 and later reprints) and, with Austin Creel and Edwin Gerow, Guide to Indian Philosophy (Boston: G. K. Hall, 1998). However his greatest contribution may be his Encylopedia of Indian Philosophies, a project upon which Karl labored for over forty years serving as general editor and contributor. The 25 volumes were published between 1970 and 2019 (Publication details are appended at the conclusion of this obituary.

Born 19 August 1927 in Oakland, CA, he was son of George Reuben Potter, a Professor of English at the University of California, Berkeley and Mabel Harrington Potter, a pianist.  Karl was named after his maternal grandfather Karl Pomeroy Harrington, a distinguished professor of Classics at Wesleyan University. After attending the Taft School in Watertown, Connecticut, Karl completed his B.A. at Berkeley in 1950. After a year of study in India in 1952-53, he completed his PhD under Daniel Ingalls at Harvard in 1955.

That year Karl joined the Philosophy faculty at Carleton College in Northfield, Minnesota where he met Antonia Fleak whom he married in 1957. From 1956 he served at the University of Minnesota teaching analytical philosophy and introducing courses on the philosophies of India. He also played a major role in the formation of  the South Asian studies program at Minnesota before joining the University of Washington in 1971. Along with his continued teaching in Philosophy, Karl led the growth of the Washington South Asia program, serving many years as its director. Grounded in his scholarly focus, he also was an active promotor and participant in significant inter-disciplinary projects such as that on Karma and Rebirth sponsored by the Joint Committee on South Asia of the Social Science Research Council and the American Council of Learned Societies. He retired in from Washington in 1997 but continued his active scholarly endeavors toward completion of the Encyclopedia of Indian Philosophies.  In recognition of his great contributions to this project he was celebrated by the Government of India which bestowed upon him the Padma Shri award in 2011.

Beyond his own extensive scholarly publications, Karl was active nationally and internationally in the scholarly study of philosophy and South Asia.  He contributed service to scholarly organizations such as the Association for Asian Studies and the American Institute of Indian Studies. For many years he chaired the South Asia Review panel for the Fulbright Senior Scholar Awards.

I first met Karl when I was a graduate student at the University of Minnesota in 1961 when he and his wife Toni joined our first year Hindi class.  Later I had a chance to enroll in his Introduction to Indian Philosophy course—a most rigorous and enlightening experience.  I was delighted when he joined us at Washington, and benefited enormously from his leadership and support.  I am staggered to realize that we first met 61 years ago.

Karl Potter was an intellectual giant of great discipline and organizational capacities. Yet personally he was unfailingly “low key”—personable, empathetic and welcoming. He was a wonderful colleague. He and Toni opened their home for myriad meals and social gatherings for faculty and students. Beyond his family Karl loved wilderness hiking, golf, chess and classical music.  He introduced many of us to the compositions of Franz Schmidt whose music he rightly felt to be underappreciated.  Perhaps stemming from his mother’s artistry he was a skilled pianist. In some ways it is difficult to comprehend how all that Karl accomplished could fit into one lifetime..

He is survived by his wife Antonia, their children David and Julie, grandson Raphael and sister Nancy.  He was predeceased by his brother, the political scientist David Potter. His family have suggested donations in his memory to Sequoia Forest Keeper: (https:/www.patagonia.com/actionworks.grantees/Sequoia-forestkeeper/)

A virtual Zoom memorial for Karl Potter will be held on Sunday, February 13 at 11:00 am (Pacific Standard Time/ 19:00 GMT/12:30 IST). It is anticipated that it will last about one hour.  If you would like to attend, please contact Julie Potter <juliepotter68 at hotmail.co.uk<mailto:juliepotter68 at hotmail.co.uk>>] to receive a Zoom invitation.



Frank F. Conlon
Professor emeritus
History, South Asian Studies
 & Comparative Religion
University of Washintgton
co-founding editor H-ASIA



A note re:  Encyclopedia of Indian Philosophies

‘Each volume in the series contains an Introduction by its Editor(s), followed by summaries of all the philosophical texts of the system known to exist in Western language translation, or extant only in editions, or in a few cases available only in manuscript. These summaries are arranged in the chronological order in which the texts appear to have been written, and provide a guide to the literature together with a flowing account of the development of thought through the history of the system being covered. The summaries are solicited from specialists in the field from throughout the world who have an intimate knowledge of the texts being summarized.”

Volume I: Bibliography (Sections I and II) constitutes a bibliographical listing of the philosophical literature of India during its classical phase and also the secondary material on this literature that is available in European languages. An updated electronic version of this Bibliography For an updated electronic version of this Bibliography is available at < http://faculty.washington.edu/kpotter/>. [Explorations are underway to assure continued access to this resource.].
 Karl H. Potter, compiler.  Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass, 1970, 1974; 2nd rev. ed 1983; 3rd rev. ed. 1995.

Volume II: Indian Metaphysics and Epistemology: The Tradition of Nyāya-Vaiśeṣika Up to Gaṅgeśa.  Karl H. Potter, ed.
Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass and Princeton, N.J.: Princeton University Press, 1977; Motilal Banarsidass, 1955

Volume III: Advaita Vedānta up to Ṣaṃkara and His Pupils. P. I Karl H. Potter, ed.vDelhi: Motilal Banarsidass and Princeton, N.J.: Princeton University Press, 1981

Volume IV: Sāṃkhya: A Dualist Tradition in Indian Philosophy. Gerald J. Larson and Ram Shankar Bhattacharya, eds. Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass and Princeton, N.J.: Princeton University Press, 1987.

Volume V: The Philosophy of the Grammarians. Harold G. Coward and K. Kunjunni Raja, eds. Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass and Princeton, N.J.: Princeton University Press, 1990

Volume VI: Indian Philosophical Analysis: Nyāya-Vaiśeṣika from Gaṅgeśa to Raghunātha Ṣiromaṇi  Karl H. Potter and Sibajiban Bhattacharyya, eds. Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass and Princeton, N.J.: Princeton University Press, 1993

Volume VII: Abhidharma Buddhism to 150 A.D. Karl H. Potter, Robert E. Buswell, Jr., Padmanabh S. Jaini, Noble Ross Reat, eds.
Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass, 1996



Volume VIII: Buddhist Philosophy from 100 to 350 A.D. Karl H. Potter, ed. Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass, 1999

Volume IX: Buddhist Philosophy from 350 to 600 A.D. Karl H. Potter, ed. Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass, 2003

Volume X: Jain Philosophy (Part I). Dalsukh Malvania and Jayendra Soni, eds. Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass, 2007

Volume XI: Advaita Vedānta from 800 to 1200. Karl H. Potter, ed.
Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass, 2006

Volume XII: Yoga Philosophy. Gerald J. Larson and Ram Sankar Bhattacharya, eds. Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass, 2008

Volume XIII: Nyāya-Vaiśeṣika Philosophy from 1500 to 1660 Sibajiban Bhattacharyya and Karl H. Potter, eds. Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass, 2011

Volume XIV: Jain Philosophy Part II. Piotr Balcerowicz and Karl H. Potter, eds. Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass, 2013

Volume XV: Bhedābheda and Dvaitādvaita Systems M.M. Agrawal and Karl H. Potter, eds. Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass, 2013

Volume XVI: Pūrva-Mīmāṁsā Philosophy Karl H. Potter, ed. Introduction by P.T. Raju Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass, 2014

Volume XVII: Jain Philosophy Part III.  Piotr Balcerowicz and Karl H. Potter, eds. Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass, 2014

Volume XVIII: Dvaita Vedānta Philosophy Karl H. Potter, ed.
Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass, 2015

Volume XIX: Acintyabhedābheda Vaiṣṇava Philosophy Karl H. Potter, ed. Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass, 2015

Volume XX: Viśiṣṭādvaita Vedānta  Stephen Phillips and Karl H. Potter, eds. Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass, 2017

Volume XXI: Buddhist Philosophy from 600 to 750 A.D.  Karl H. Potter, ed., Introduction by Eli Franco and Karen Lang
Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass, 2017

Volume XXII: Buddhist Philosophy from 750 A.D. onwards  Karl H. Potter, ed. Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass, 2018

Volume XXIII: Śuddhādvaita Vedānta Philosophy Karl H. Potter, ed.
Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass, 2019

Volume XXIV: Kashmir Śaiva Philosophy Karl H. Potter, ed.
Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass, 2019

Volume XXV: Nyāya-Vaiśeṣika in Recent Times Karl H. Potter, ed.
Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass, 2019

E&OE

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