Douglas Allen (philosopher)

Douglas Allen
Born (1941-06-15) June 15, 1941
NationalityAmerican
Occupation(s)Philosopher, academic and author
AwardsDistinguished Maine Professor Award, University of Maine
Hands of Peace Award, Peace and Justice Center of Eastern Maine
Faculty Excellence Award, University of Maine Alumni Association
Steve Gould Award, University of Maine
Academic background
EducationB.A., Philosophy
M.A., Philosophy
Ph.D., Philosophy
Alma materYale University
Vanderbilt University
Thesis"The History of Religions and Eliade’s Phenomenology"
Academic work
InstitutionsUniversity of Maine

Douglas Allen is an American philosopher, academic, author and an activist. He is a Professor Emeritus of Philosophy and a Founder of Maine Peace Action Committee at the University of Maine.

Allen’s research focuses on phenomenology of religion and the philosophy of Mahatma Gandhi. He has also studied comparative philosophy and religion, Marxism and political philosophy along with Asian philosophy and religion, with a focus on Hinduism and Buddhism. He knew Mircea Eliade and has conducted extensive research on his phenomenology of religion. Allen is an author of numerous research papers along with 16 books and 150 book chapters. His books include Structure and Creativity in Religion: Hermeneutics in Mircea Eliade's Phenomenology and New Directions, Coming to Terms: Indochina, the United States, and the War, Comparative Philosophy and Religion in Times of Terror, and Gandhi after 9/11: Creative Nonviolence and Sustainability.

Allen is a peace and justice scholar and activist, and has been active in the Civil Rights Movement and the Vietnam/Indochina Antiwar Movement. He served as an Elected President of the International Society for Asian and Comparative Philosophy from 2000 till 2004. He is the Editor of the book series Studies in Comparative Philosophy and Religion published by Lexington Books.