About
Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan was an Indian philosopher and statesman, born on 5 September 1888 in Tirutani and died on 17 April 1975 in Madras. He taught philosophy at several Indian universities, including Oxford, and was elected a Fellow of the British Academy. He represented India at UNESCO and served as ambassador to the Soviet Union. He was the first Vice-President (1952-1962) and then the second President of India (1962-1967). His philosophical work, rooted in Advaita Vedanta, sought to interpret Indian thought for Western audiences. He received the Bharat Ratna in 1954 and the Templeton Prize in 1975. His birthday is celebrated in India as Teachers' Day.
* 1888-09-05 — † 1975-04-17
Major works
- Indian Philosophy (1923-1927)philosophical work
- An Idealist View of Life (1929)lectures
- Eastern Religions and Western Thought (1939)book
- The Bhagavadgita (1948)translation with commentary
- The Principal Upanishads (1953)translation with commentary
Key milestones
- 1931Knighted by King George V; he ceased using the title 'Sir' after Indian independence.
- 1952Elected first Vice-President of India.
- 1962Elected second President of India; his birthday is declared Teachers' Day.
Themes
Advaita VedantaEast-West dialoguePhilosophical idealismEducationComparative religion
Sources: presidentofindia.gov.in · britannica.com · vicepresidentofindia.nic.in
