Essays

An academician, a philosopher and a statesman—these are some of the many hats that Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan wore. He is, undoubtedly, one of the most recognized and influential Indian thinkers in academic circles of the 20th century.

Radhakrishnan was born on September 5, 1888 into a middle class Brahmin family in a small town of Tamil Nadu. Not much is known about his early education but between 1900 and 1904, he attended the Elizabeth Rodman Voorhees College in Vellore. a school run by the Reformed Church in America. It was here that he was introduced to western thought. In 1921, he was appointed to the most important philosophy chair in India, the King George V Chair of Mental and Moral Science at the University of Calcutta. Later in 1929, Radhakrishnan was invited to take the job of teacher at Manchester college, Oxford. This gave him the opportunity to lecture the students on Comparative Religion. He was Knighted in 1931 and thereafter, worked as the Vice-chancellor of Andhra University.

His philosophy was simple but effective. He argued that western philosophers, despite all claims to objectivity/ were biased by theological influences of their culture. In one of his major works, he also showed that Indian philosophy once translated into standard academic language, is worthy of being called 'philosophy' by western standards. His main contribution to Indian thought, therefore, is that he placed it "on the world map", thereby, earning Indian philosophy a respect in the West that it had not had before. In his major work on the idealist view of life, he laid emphasis on the importance of instinctive thinking as opposed to purely intellectual forms of thought.

In late 1939, Radhakrishnan took up his second Vice Chancellorship at Benares Hindu University (BHU). He resigned from there in 1948. A brilliant scholar, he was named the Chairman of the University Education Commission. His hand can be felt especially in the chapters on the aims of university education and religious education. During these years, the question of nationalism occupied his attention. For Radhakrishnan, a university education that quickened the development of the whole individual was the only responsible and practical means to the creation of Indian solidarity and clarity of national vision. He envisioned an India built and guided by those who were truly educated, by those who had a personal vision of and commitment to raising Indian self-consciousness.

The years following Indian independence marked Radhakrishnan's increasing involvement in Indian politics as well as in international affairs. The closing years , of the 1940s were busy ones, Radhakrishnan had been actively involved in the newly incorporated UNESCO. He also served for two years, immediately following India's independence, as a member of the Indian Constituent Assembly. However. the favourable opportunity for Radhakrishnan to put into practice his own philosphical political ideas came with his election to the Rajya Sabha. He served as India's Vice President (1952-1962) and later as President (1962-1967).

Radhakrishnan. a great visionary, saw during his terms in office an increasing need for world unity and universal fellowship. The urgency of this need was pressed home to Radhakrishnan by what he saw as the unfolding crisis throughout the world. The Korean War was already in full swing. Political tensions with China in the early 1960s followed by the hostilities between India and Pakistan dominated Radhakrishnan's Presidency. Moreover, the Cold War divided the East and the West leaving each side suspicious of the other.

Radhakrishnan belonged to that genre of the intelligentsia which believed in international peace and cooperation. So he challenged what he saw as the potential and dominating character of self-professed international organizations such as the League of Nations. Instead, he called for the promotion of a creative internationalism based on the spiritual foundations of integral experience. Only then could understanding and tolerance between people and between nations could be promoted.

Radhakrishnan is also the impetus behind celebrating Teachers' Day. When he was the President of India in 1962, his students and friends requested him to allow them to celebrate his birthday September 5- He replied, "Instead of celebrating my birthday, it would be my privilege if 5 September is observed as Teachers' Day". Finally, this illustrious representative of Hinduism to the West retired from public life in 1967. He spent the last eight years of his life at the home he had built in Chennai. Radhakrishnan breathed his last on April 17, 1975.