Dr Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan: A Teacher Who Hated To Be Called A 'Professor'

By Sumit Paul, New Age Islam 5 September 2025 "Religion is behaviour and not mere belief." -Dr Radhakrishnan " Instead of celebrating my birthday, it would be my proud privilege if 5 September is observed as Teachers' Day." Dr Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan “The worst sinner has a future, even as the greatest saint has had a past. No one is as good or bad as he imagines.” -Dr Radhakrishnan Dr S Radhakrishnan wasn't just a teacher, philosopher and educationist. He was a moralist who believed that true education and proper knowledge created morally upright humans. Like Socrates, Dr Radhakrishnan believed that, Education is the kindling of a flame, not the filling of a vessel. Education is not just about acquiring knowledge and facts, but rather igniting a passion for inquiry and critical thinking. It emphasizes the importance of curiosity, open-mindedness, and the exploration of ideas. Education is not a passive process of filling a vessel, but an active journey of discovery where the flame of knowledge is sparked and nurtured. Radhakrishnan believed that true education should inspire individuals to think for themselves, question societal norms, and seek wisdom. By emphasizing the transformative and illuminating nature of education, this statement serves as a timeless reminder that the purpose of learning goes beyond mere accumulation - it encourages students to become lifelong learners and thinkers. According to the legendary philosopher, who was the Spalding Professor of Eastern Religion and Ethics at Oxford University, knowledge is the be-all and end-all. He'd often say, " There is only one good, knowledge, and one evil, ignorance." Radhakrishnan believed that true virtue and morality could only be achieved through the attainment of knowledge and understanding. He argued that ignorance was the root cause of all wrongdoing and misdeeds, as it prevented individuals from recognizing what was truly good and just. He believed that by pursuing knowledge and questioning one's own beliefs, individuals could elevate themselves towards a higher state of consciousness and live a more virtuous life. Radhakrishnan's statement serves as a timeless reminder that wisdom and understanding are the guiding lights in distinguishing right from wrong, and that ignorance is the breeding ground for all forms of evil and injustice. Radhakrishnan believed that ignorance is the root and stem of all evil. People do not intentionally commit evil acts but do so out of a lack of knowledge and understanding. According to him, it is only through true knowledge and awareness that individuals can discern right from wrong and act virtuously. Ignorance, therefore, becomes the breeding ground for ignorance, as it prevents individuals from recognizing the consequences of their actions and perpetuates a cycle of wrongdoing. Radhakrishnan's quote serves as a reminder of the importance of intellectual pursuits and continuous learning to combat ignorance and promote a more ethical society. Dr Radhakrishnan was a practical thinker and educationist who was of the view that introspection and self-knowledge would always help more than mere books. He once wrote to Jawaharlal Nehru, who was his coeval, "Books are good but still better is the book of life." Observe, ponder and act was the mantra of Dr Radhakrishnan. Despite writing a plethora of profound books on Philosophy and Education and being a bibliophile himself, Radhakrishnan would always say, " The fifth-century Greek writer we know as Dionysius the Areopagite once said that as he grew older and wiser his books got shorter and shorter.” Radhakrishnan didn't approve of the idea of poring over books living in an ivory-tower. Reading and implementing should be the sole (and also soul) objective of a seeker. Education and knowledge that get you a decent job and also hone your sensibilities by making you a humanist must be the purpose of modern education, according to Dr Radhakrishnan. He wasn't an armchair philosopher. He was a pragmatic philosopher who combined education with philosophy and moral values. Dr Radhakrishnan always asserted that intelligence plus character must be the goal of true education because when you educate a man in mind and not in morals, you educate a menace to society. His moral approach to education made him a universally venerable and adorable teacher who hated to be called a Professor. Today's so-called 'professors' can learn a lesson in modesty from him. Teachers As Removers Of Spiritual Blindness And Snobbery: Since Dr Radhakrishnan called himself an eternal teacher, he believed that teachers must act as removers of spiritual blindness and also spiritual snobbery. While studying at schools run by the Christian missionaries, he realized that those Christian missionaries had a pontificating attitude towards all other faiths and they'd make fun of Hindu gods and goddesses. In other words, they were spiritually blind to the spirit, essence and significance of other faiths. Their focus was only on Christianity and they suffered from spiritual snobbishness. To them, Christianity and Jesus were the only saviours of mankind. This is a wrong attitude which goes against the spirit of humility, humanity and spirituality. " Teach your students to be open to all faiths," he urged all teachers. We all must imbibe and follow this universal exhortation. Either completely reject all faiths and their gods or treat all faiths as equal. You shouldn't be partial even to the religion you were born into. Dr Radhakrishnan wanted that every individual must behave as if he/she is a universal human. This is of paramount importance in these divisive times when every human is morbidly influenced by his/her ethnicity, country, religion and all that jazz. Dr Radhakrishnan's lofty philosophical ideas and universal moralism can help us become better humans. Lastly, Dr Radhakrishnan was an extremely humble person whose life and persona justified the famous Sanskrit adage, Vidya Dadati Vinayam (Knowledge makes one humble). Despite his boundless erudition, he was so modest that while teaching Philosophy at Oxford and other leading universities in the world, he'd urge and encourage his students to point out any mistakes or factual errors in his lectures and discourses in the classroom. He was of the view that no one was infallible. He was always open to being corrected. Do you find this immensely admirable trait in today's teachers, lecturers and professors? ---- TOI carried a shorter version of this article in its Speaking Tree section on September 5, Teacher's Day. ----- A regular columnist for New Age Islam, Sumit Paul is a researcher in comparative religions, with special reference to Islam. He has contributed articles to the world's premier publications in several languages including Persian. 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