Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan (5 September 1888 –
17 April 1975) was an Indian philosopher and statesman who was
the first Vice President of
India (1952–1962) and the second President of India from
1962 to 1967
One
of India's most distinguished twentieth-century scholars of comparative
religion and philosophy , his academic appointments included the King
George V Chair of Mental and Moral Science at the University of
Calcutta (1921–1932) and Spalding Professor of Eastern Religion and Ethics at University of Oxford (1936–1952).
His
philosophy was grounded in Advaita Vedanta,
reinterpreting this tradition for a contemporary understanding. He
defended Hinduism against "uninformed Western criticism", contributing
to the formation of contemporary Hindu identity. He has been influential
in shaping the understanding of Hinduism, in both India and the west, and
earned a reputation as a bridge-builder between India and the West.
Radhakrishnan
was awarded several high awards during his life, including a knighthood in
1931, the Bharat Ratna, the
highest civilian award in India, in 1954, and honorary membership of the
British Royal Order of Merit in
1963. Radhakrishnan believed that "teachers should be the best minds in
the country". Since 1962, his birthday is celebrated in India as Teachers' Day on 5 September.
0 comments:
Post a Comment