DR.

S Radhakrishnan (1888-1975)

Introduction
• First Vice-President of India (1952-1962)

• Second President of India (1962-1967)

• Professor of Philosophy, University of Mysore

• King George 5 chair of mental and moral science , University of Calcutta

• Vice-chancellor of Andhra University and Banaras Hindu University

• Spalding professor of Eastern Religion and Ethics at University of Oxford

• 1954- Bharat Ratna

• 1968- First Sahitya Akademi

• Represented India at UNESCO (1946-52)

• Renowned Indian philosopher, former President, scholar in comparative religion and

philosophy.

• His autobiographical work: My search for Truth

• Writes against the uniform Western criticism on Hinduism

• During his student days in Madras, he felt compelled to study Hinduism and distinguish
between its living and dead aspects in response to the criticisms of his Christian peers

• Propounded Advaitha Vedantha Philosophy

• Calls Hinduism as a religion of tolerance: Locates Hinduism in its ancient roots as a religion
of tolerance, acceptance, spirituality, morality and love

• Inspired by Swami Vivekananda

Biography
 Born on 5th September 1888 in Tiruttani

• To a religious family

• Married at 15 to Shivakamu

• Excelled academically

• Studied philosophy

• later joined the Teacher’s Training College in Saidapet, 1910

• Impressed his professors and classmates

• Chaired the Philosophy department in Mysore

 • Joined the University of Calcutta as King George V Professor of Mental and Moral
Philosophy

• Publications – ‘The Philosophy of Rabindranath Tagore’, ‘The Reign of Religion in

Contemporary Philosophy’, ‘The Indian Philosophy-Vol I and II’

• Discussed Vedas and Upanishads

• Argued that there was a religious bias in all Western philosophies of objectivity

Personality:

• A combination of introversion and social traits.

• Meditative and reflective nature

• Extremely Amiable

• Capable of strong profound emotions

• Regards luck and hardwork highly

• Extremely spiritual: Sources his patience and calmness from God

A successful diplomat:

• Delivered a lecture in British Academy on Gautama Buddha; was the Ambassador to the
Soviet;

• Travelled to Latin America (1954), Singapore, Indonesia, China and Japan (1956);

• The first act as the President of India: immediately reduced his monthly salary from 10,000
to 2,000

• Was bestowed with honorary membership of the Order of Merit by the queen

• Received the title of the Knight of the Golden Army of Angels: Vatican's most prestigious
accolade for a head of state, from Pope Paul VI.

Domestic Life

 A combination of conservative and modern outlook

 Believed Hindu wives should have access to divorce
 Called Indian women innocent and domesticate: Ideal path to spirituality
 Believe in the tenderness and profound affection prevalent in Indian marriages.
 Said it could be further enhanced by introducing appropriate modifications in entrenched
social institutions,
 Said the legislature must not be reluctant to reform.
 He emphasizes that, at present, the goodwill of their husbands is the sole protection for
Indian women against physical and emotional abuse
 According to him, is insufficient in the current societal context.

Dr Radhakrishnan’s Philosophy
 Born as defence against Christian missionaries
 Said that Hindu ascetics and scholars preserved tradition for members of the Hindu
fold
 The innocent villagers are more familiar with the spiritual way of life
 Critiques modern rejection of God
 Supports the need for spiritual growth and development
 Gives example of Vedic Aryans who accept change and evolved calling Hinduism a tolerant
religion
 Example of Gita: To connect to the supreme one
 At the age of twenty, as part of his master's degree program, he composed a thesis on the
ethics of the Vedanta system
 He contended that it was a nuanced ethical system.
 His mentors lauded and endorsed him for this accomplishment in their testimonials,
recognizing it as a significant feat.
 Aim of Hinduism is to attain knowledge and vision of God
 Saw Hinduism as a progressive historical religion

Comments on Comparative Religion

 All truth has its sources in God

 All religions are vessels to the Truth
 Non-dogmatic spiritual view of religion
 The Truth is attached to universe where all human eternity has to unite
 Cautions against succumbing to the belief that one's own religion is superior to all others.

Views on Spirituality

 Differentiates between Moral man and Spiritual man

 Spirituality is the main purpose of all religions
 Ethics extremely important to human life
 The Supreme is high and exempt from change
 Maya is the illusionary nature of life
 Reality is derived from Maya
 The modern life is seeing a collapse of spiritual life
 Urges people to challenge this collapse
 Cautions that science can build external lives but inner souls need to be built spiritually
 He gives the example of the World Wars
 Warns against mechanization of human life
 He connects the personal subjective spiritual philosophies to the political by referring to
International relations
 Democracy as something that grants a recognition of the dignity of the human being.
 Says communism may be crude but its adherents are conscious of their rights
 Also says that dictatorships are born out of despair
 Critiques League of Nation and its inadequacies
 The League consists of satisfied powers and weaker nations.
 It is an instrument in the hands of strong nations
 It is conservative, dogmatic, and unjust
 Discusses the hypocrisy of the Great Britain
 He talks about Hegel and rejects rationality as the main source of knowledge
  Speaks in support of the subject emotional intuitive world

On Dealing with Life’s Problems

 Everyone is equal in the eyes of God

 Being happy and rich is different
 Important for mankind to put ego aside
 To think from the spiritual eyes
 To be compassionate and kind
 Important to be truthful and honest
 Gives examples of Buddha and Christ
 Explains that it is important to rely on self and truth
 To spread affection and love