Sir William Jones (1746-1794) was a British philologist, jurist, and scholar of ancient India. He is best known for his work as a judge of the Supreme Court at Calcutta, India, and for his studies of Asian culture and history. His profound interest in Indian history, philosophy, and law was driven by a deep respect for ancient cultures, both of India and the West. A Scholar for the Enlightenment Jones embodied the Enlightenment's emphasis on reason, science, and universal human potential. He believed intellectual threads connected cultures across vast distances.…