Biography

Prof. Irani was Emeritus Professor of Philosophy at the City College of New York, after teaching there for 41 years. He was Chairman of the Department for nine years, and the Director and Executive Director of the Program for the History and Philosophy of Science — responsible for its development, execution, and teaching. He was also the Director of the Academy of Humanities and Sciences for 12 years.

His original field of teaching and research was the Philosophy of Science. Prof. Irani was one of those rare individuals whose unique background and interests allowed him to understand the works of both Albert Einstein and Immanuel Kant, and to successfully apply this knowledge to the Philosophy of Science. His research and publications span two areas: Conditions of Acceptance in Scientific Theories and The Reality Problem in Quantum Mechanics.

In the last twenty-five years of his career he worked in the area of History and Philosophy of Ancient Thought — Religious, Moral, Mythic, and Technological. Towards the end of these years, he formulated what he called his “original contribution to philosophy” — the theory of Domains of Belief.

Kaikhosrov Dinshah Irani was born on May 1, 1922, in Mumbai (formerly Bombay), India. He was the elder of two sons of Dinshah Jijibhoy Irani and Banu Mithibai Sethna. He graduated from St. Xavier’s College in Bombay and went on to study Chemistry, Physical Chemistry, and then Physics. During the war years he studied Law and briefly practiced at his father’s old law firm.

In 1947, he moved to the United States to continue his studies at Princeton University, where he was taught by Albert Einstein. Upon completion of his studies, he began teaching at City College of New York, where he taught philosophy for the following 41 years.

At the law firm where he was practicing, he met another young lawyer named Piroja — who was to become his wife in 1953. The couple resided in New York until their respective departures.

As a philosopher one might expect Prof. Irani to be of the ivory-tower type. Far from it. Greatly influenced by his father, he devoted himself to the life of the Zoroastrian community throughout his years in New York. During 1993–95 he served as President of ZAGNY and served on numerous ZAGNY boards. He arranged the first and second Gatha Conferences held in the UK and Los Angeles, and the first Yasht Conference in New Rochelle, NY. From the inception of the Zoroastrian temple in New York, he conducted classes for adults on the subject of Zoroastrianism.

Prof. Irani lectured at UCLA and the Universities of Michigan, London, Göttingen, Vienna, and Rome. His standing within academia helped earn broad recognition for the Zoroastrian tradition in North America.

In 1988, Prof. Irani republished the translation of the Gathas — the Hymns of Zarathushtra — as written by his father Dinshaw J. Irani, which carried an introduction by Rabindranath Tagore. He edited the volume and wrote its introduction, connecting generations of Irani scholarship to the community he served.

Professor Emeritus Dr. Kaikhosrov D. Irani’s intellect, wisdom, vision, and extraordinary ability to share his knowledge remain forever unforgettable. He was a world-renowned philosopher, a mentor to many, a teacher, a writer, a thinker, and above all a true Zarathushti. His life was an example of what he taught.