Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan Biography and latest books by Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan

Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan was a writer, philosopher, statesman, teacher, and the second President of India. His most famous writings include Indian Philosophy, The Hindu View of Life, An Idealist View of Life, Eastern Religions and Western Thought, Religion and Society, The Bhagavadgita: with an introductory essay, Sanskrit text, English translation and notes, The Dhammapada, The Principal Upanishads, Recovery of Faith, A Source Book in Indian Philosophy, and Religion, Science & Culture. He was born on September 5, 1888 in Tiruttani, now in Tamil Nadu. He was born into a Telugu Brahmin family. His father Sarvepalli Veeraswami was a revenue official. He attended the Hermansburg Evangelical Lutheral Mission School in Tirupati, Voorhees College in Vellore, and the Madras Christian College. He completed his Masters in Philosophy. He wrote his thesis on ‘The Ethics of the Vedanta and its Metaphysical Presuppositions’. It was published when he was only 20 years old.

Dr. Radhakrishnan married Sivakamu, a distant cousin of his when he was 16. They had five daughters and a son, the famous historian Sarvepalli Gopal. He served as a Professor of Philosophy at the Madras Presidency College, University of Mysore, University of Calcutta, and Harris Manchester College. He served as the Vice-Chancellor of Andhra University & Banaras Hindu University, and was Spalding Professor of Eastern Religions and Ethics at the University of Oxford, and was a Fellow of All Souls College. He also served as the Indian Ambassador to the Soviet Union and represented India at the UNESCO post independence. He was elected to the Constituent Assembly of India. He became the Vice President of India in 1952 and the President of India in 1962. His birthday is celebrated as Teachers’ Day in India.