This Throwback Thursday, we remember the life and legacy of Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, a giant in Indian history whose contributions to education and philosophy have seared an indelible mark into the nation’s psyche. Celebrated as Teacher’s Day on 5th September every year, Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan’s birthday indicates how paramount his impact has been on the Indian educational system and one of the shapers of modern Hindu identity.
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The Early Years and Academic Excellence
Born on September 5, 1888, in a small village in Tamil Nadu, Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan’s early life was precocious, marked primarily by a zest for knowledge that would guide him throughout his life. He went to Madras Presidency College, where he rapidly proved himself as a bright student. Here, he initiated the study of philosophy, which would eventually become his lifelong passion.
He was called upon to serve at the Department of Philosophy in the Madras Presidency College in 1909, marking the beginning of his outstanding academic career. His scholarship on the subject breathed heavily upon the concepts of Advaita Vedanta, the school of Indian philosophy that emphasises the idea of non-dualism. His reinterpretation for contemporary times made Advaita defend Hinduism against Western criticism and develop a modern Hindu identity that would stand shoulder to shoulder with Western philosophical traditions.
A Scholar and a Thinker of International Repute
Soon, Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan’s academic brilliance ushered him into some of the most coveted positions in Indian academia. He was the Vice-Chancellor of Andhra University and Banaras Hindu University, two of the best institutions in India. His influence spilt beyond Indian shores when he was appointed King George V Chair of Mental and Moral Science at the University of Calcutta and subsequently to the Spalding Chair of Eastern Religions and Ethics at Oxford University.
During this period, he wrote a series of works, including “The Philosophy of Rabindranath Tagore” and “An Idealist View of Life.” These established him as a profound interpreter of Indian philosophy and, at the same time, as an effective controversialist who did not hesitate to speak his mind boldly against the Western school of philosophers. His scholarship had unfolded before the world of Hindu philosophy and put him among the most influential scholars of the 20th century in comparative philosophy and religion.
The Statesman and Farseeing Leader
The intellectual works of Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan ran along parallel lines with his contribution to the political and diplomatic fields. He held the office of ambassador of India to the Soviet Union from 1949 to 1952, at a critical time in world affairs. His diplomacy acumen helped mend India’s relations with the Soviet Union, a crucial actor in the global environs at that time.
In 1952, he was elected as the first Vice President of India, a position he served gracefully for ten years. He was the pillar of support and strength during his vice-presidency to the president of India, professing the secular ideal of India. An outspoken proponent of a secular state, Radhakrishnan considered that religious instruction in state institutions was inconsistent with the secular ideal of the Indian Constitution.
In 1962, he was elected as the second President of India. A great depth of moral authority and intellectual rigour strikingly marked his presidency. As president, he also never gave up his commitment to the cause of education, espousing the ideal non-stop in its nation-building dimensions. His transformationist belief in education was based on personal experiences and a firm conviction that knowledge was the key to a more just and equitable society.
Teacher’s Day Legacy
Perhaps the most perennial of Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan’s legacies is the celebration of Teacher’s Day in India. This originated in 1962 when some of his students and friends approached him to celebrate his birthday. Characteristically, he said that instead of celebrating his birthday, September 5th should be observed as Teacher’s Day in honour of the contribution of teachers to society.
Since then, Teachers’ Day has become an annual event in India, and students throughout the country pay homage to their teachers through various functions. The day reminds one of the teachers’ values in moulding the minds and fortunes of the rising generation. It also speaks volumes about Radhakrishnan’s respect for the teaching profession and the status of teachers as society’s true architects.
Bridging East and West in Thought- Advaita Vedanta
One of Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan’s most significant contributions to philosophy is his ability to bridge Eastern and Western thought. An outspoken apologist for Hinduism, he did not resist the assimilation of Western philosophical notions into his philosophical structure. This blend of ideas is reflected in his interpretation of Advaita Vedanta. Though steeped in this traditional nondualistic philosophy, Radhakrishnan revamped Advaita to accommodate diversity and complexity in the modern world.
Lying at the very centre of Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan’s philosophy was intuition, which he regarded as the highest knowledge. He said intuition is the divine’s direct experience, transcending the narrow limits of reason and providing a more fundamental insight into reality. In this idea, he drew broad appreciation from both Eastern and Western thinkers, thus enabling him to create a philosophical bridge between the two traditions.
Controversies and Criticisms
Not all scholars, however, looked upon Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan without criticism. Some have noted that his views on Advaita Vedanta as representing the essence of Hinduism were reductive and thereby supportive of Hindu nationalism. Others criticised his perennialism, which borrowed from all religious traditions in a common unity and was also a product of colonial influences.
Another controversy he had to go through was with a Bengali intellectual magazine called The Modern Review. It accused him of plagiarism regarding his book Indian Philosophy, so the legal battle between the two continued until it was settled out of court. Despite all this, Radhakrishnan emerged with his intellectual and moral stature almost intact. His contribution to Indian thought and global philosophy remained widely recognised.
A Legacy in Education and Philosophy
Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan was a life of phenomenal achievements and profound impacts. As a philosopher, he reinvented Hindu thought and made it accessible. As an educationalist, he epitomised the cause of knowledge and learning and stood for the imperative of education in constructing a decent and fair society. As a statesman, he kept the secular vision of India aloft and contributed remarkably to shaping its national identity.
Today, on this Teacher’s Day, while remembering Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, one is bound to remember all those teachers who struggled throughout life to keep the light of learning alive in every possible corner alongside the more outstanding interests of human civilisation. His life and works have continued inspiring generations on the power of education to transform life and contribute to a better future.