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| Dr. S. Radhakrishnan | |
|---|---|
| Name | Dr. S. Radhakrishnan |
| Birth date | 5 September 1888 |
| Birth place | Thiruttani, Madras Presidency |
| Death date | 17 April 1975 |
| Death place | New Delhi |
| Occupation | Philosopher, university professor, statesman |
| Awards | Bharat Ratna, Order of Merit |
Dr. S. Radhakrishnan Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan was an Indian philosopher, university professor, and statesman who served as Vice President of India and as the second President of India, noted for his scholarship in Hinduism, comparative religion, and Indian philosophy, and for his role in shaping post-independence Republic of India's intellectual and institutional landscape. He lectured at institutions such as University of Mysore, Oxford University, University of Cambridge, and Banaras Hindu University, and engaged with figures like Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru, Rabindranath Tagore, and C. Rajagopalachari in debates over tradition and modernity. His writings include works on Vedanta, Upanishads, and comparative studies connecting Western philosophy and classical Indian thought.
Born in Thiruttani in the Madras Presidency of British India, Radhakrishnan came from a Telugu-speaking family and pursued early schooling influenced by regional institutions such as local mission schools and traditional Brahmin scholastic environments. He studied at Madras Christian College and obtained degrees from the University of Madras where teachers and contemporaries included scholars conversant with texts like the Bhagavad Gita, Brahma Sutras, and Yoga Vasistha. Later academic appointments and fellowships connected him with intellectual centers such as Calcutta University, King's College London, and visiting posts that created dialogues with proponents of Idealism, Plato, Immanuel Kant, and Arthur Schopenhauer.
Radhakrishnan's academic career spanned posts at Madras Presidency College, University of Mysore, and the University of Calcutta, before his appointments to the Oxford University chair and a readership at Cambridge University, where he engaged with scholars from Harvard University, Princeton University, and Columbia University through lectures and exchanges. His philosophical work emphasized Advaita Vedanta, the metaphysics of Shankaracharya, and comparative readings of Upanishads, aligning debates with interpreters like Ananda Coomaraswamy, Friedrich Nietzsche (as interlocutor), and Wilhelm Halbfass. He authored influential books and essays such as commentaries on the Bhagavad Gita, studies of Indian philosophy, and expositions addressing audiences at venues like the Royal Society and the World Congress of Philosophy. Radhakrishnan articulated positions vis‑à‑vis Western philosophy traditions including German Idealism, British Idealism, and figures like G. W. F. Hegel, John Stuart Mill, and William James.
Transitioning from academia, Radhakrishnan entered public service through advisory and representational roles, interacting with political leaders during the Indian independence movement such as Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru, Sardar Patel, and Muhammad Ali Jinnah in constitutional and cultural debates. He served as India’s representative to international forums including delegations to the League of Nations era institutions and later engaged with the United Nations and UNESCO, collaborating with diplomats from United Kingdom, United States, and Soviet Union. Domestically, he was appointed as Ambassador of India to the USSR-era interlocutors and participated in policy discussions with ministries led by figures like Maulana Abul Kalam Azad and C. Rajagopalachari on cultural affairs and higher education reform.
Elected Vice President under President Rajendra Prasad, Radhakrishnan later assumed the presidency in 1962, succeeding Dr. Rajendra Prasad during a period that encompassed the Indo-China War of 1962, the tenure of Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, and subsequent governments under leaders such as Lal Bahadur Shastri and Indira Gandhi. As head of state he received foreign envoys from countries including United States, United Kingdom, Soviet Union, China, and France and presided over ceremonies conferring honors like the Bharat Ratna and state visits involving delegations from Japan, Germany, and Sri Lanka. His presidency addressed constitutional protocols related to the President of India's role and engaged with national commemorations tied to figures such as Subhas Chandra Bose, Bhagat Singh, and Rabindranath Tagore.
Radhakrishnan championed higher education and cultural institutions, promoting reforms at bodies including the University Grants Commission (India), Banaras Hindu University, Aligarh Muslim University, and the Indian Institute of Science, while fostering collaborations with international centers like University of Oxford, King's College London, and Harvard University. He helped establish commemorations such as teachers' recognition initiatives and inspired observances leading to Teacher's Day (India), linking pedagogical ideals to figures like Socrates, Plato, and Confucius in curriculum debates. He served on advisory councils and trustee boards of institutions including the Indian Council for Cultural Relations, the Sangeet Natak Akademi, and university senates in Madras, Banaras, and Calcutta.
Radhakrishnan's personal life included marriage into a family connected with South Indian scholarly networks and friendships with intellectuals such as Sri Aurobindo, K. M. Munshi, M. Hiriyanna, and poets like Rabindranath Tagore, and his correspondence engaged with global thinkers like C. S. Lewis and Aldous Huxley. His legacy endures through awards such as the Bharat Ratna, commemorative stamps issued by India Post, academic chairs at University of Oxford and Banaras Hindu University, and biographies and studies published by presses including Oxford University Press, Cambridge University Press, and Indian publishers chronicling dialogues with figures like Jawaharlal Nehru and Jawaharlal Nehru's contemporaries. Institutions, lecture series, and memorials in Chennai, New Delhi, Hyderabad, and Bengaluru continue to reflect his influence on interpretations of Vedanta and on India's engagement with global philosophical discourse.
Category:Indian philosophers Category:Presidents of India Category:Recipients of the Bharat Ratna