1. Rabindranath Tagore

• Overview: Also known as Gurudev.
• New Vedanta Thinker: Emphasizes solving social problems alongside spiritual growth.
• Influence of Brahmo Samaj: Inspired by his father's association with the Brahmo Samaj.
• New Interpretation: Provided new interpretations of the Brahmo Samaj teachings.
• Indirect Philosophical Writings: Did not write dedicated philosophical books, but expressed his ideas through stories, poems, songs, novels, plays, etc.
• Human-God Relationship:
  • Believed humans have the power to realize God.
  • Imposed human qualities (emotions, sensitivity) on God.
  • Humanization of God & Godification of Humans: Emphasized seeing the divine in humanity.
  • Example: The story of the man offering milk to the Shivalinga vs. feeding a starving child (importance of serving humanity).
• Spiritual Humanism:
  • Humans are superior among living beings.
  • Differs from Western Humanism: Not based solely on reason but on spiritual and creative power.
• Two Aspects of Human Being:
  • Finite: Biological existence.
  • Infinite: Related to spirituality and mysticism.
• Mystical View of Human, Nature, and Society:
  • Human character has different dimensions and is not simply good or bad.
  • Natural events are considered divine expressions and influence human personality.
  • Good and evil exist in society, and both should be accepted.
• Ideas Related to Education:
  • Opposed Formal Education: Because it is uniform, does not promote creativity, and separates people from nature.
  • Mother Tongue: Education should be in the mother tongue, but other languages can be learned to understand other cultures.
  • Need for broad reforms: For a new education system.
  • Shanti Niketan: School founded by Tagore.
• International Relations:
  • Opposed Nationalism: Because it limits human beings within geographical boundaries.
  • Supported Internationalism: "Vasudev Kutumbakam" (One Earth, One World, One Family) should be the guiding principle.
• Egalitarian Society:
  • Advocated for equality for all.
  • Change driven by youth.

2. Swami Vivekananda

• New Vedanta Thinker:
• Influences: Brahmo Samaj, Vedas, Upanishads, Bhagavad Gita, and Ramakrishna Paramahamsa (his teacher).
• Concept of Brahman:
  • Brahman is the fundamental element, fully conscious.
  • Did Not Reject Materialism: Material development can ensure spiritual development.
• Ethical Actions:
  • Actions are ethical if they are unselfish and altruistic.
  • Selfish actions are immoral.
  • Main objective of ethics: to regulate individual conduct for societal order.
• Role of Citizens:
  • A country becomes great through the conduct of its citizens, not just laws and rules.
• Social Welfare:
  • Only social welfare can ensure individual welfare (society & indivudal).
  • No difference between individual and society.
• Critique of Conventional Ethics:
  • Ethics is too instructive.
  • Does not explain why actions are wrong or how to practice ethical behavior.
  • This leads to a lack of morality in our behavior.
• Role in Awakening Self-Confidence in India:
  • Chicago Conference (1893): Explained ideals of Sanatan Dharma.
  • Sanatan Dharma is universal, including all other religions and sects.
• Value Development:
  • Values develop in society based on its needs (e.g., spirituality in India, science in the West).
• Emphasis on Strength: "Strength is life, weakness is death." Focus on youth and all kinds of physical and mental strength.
• Economic Strength:
  • Ending poverty and serving the poor (Daridra Narayan - serving the poor is serving God).
  • Religious teaching is an insult to the hungry.
• Social Strength:
  • Removing all types of social discrimination.
  • Supporting women's liberty and empowerment.
  • Opposing religious superstitions and rituals.
  • Criticizing Hinduism for confining women to the kitchen.
• Political Strength:
  • Ending political slavery and achieving freedom.
• Importance of Physical and Mental Strength:
  • Spiritual messages cannot be attained by weak persons.
• Role of Youth: Most important in nation-building. Gave teachings of self-control, self-regulation, self-confidence, self-welfare, and self-knowledge to youth.

3. S. Radhakrishnan

• Neo Vedanta Thinker:
• Core of Indian Philosophy: Vedanta Philosophy (Shankaracharya's).
• Fundamental Element of Universe: Param Sat (ultimate truth): conscious, infinite, and free. Experienced through intuition.
• Harmonizing Opposites: Religion and science, idealism and realism, modernism and traditionalism, spiritualism and materialism, reason and intuition
• Ideas on Religion:
  • Two Aspects: External (rituals, places of worship) and Internal (core message).
  • Conflicts arise from emphasizing the external. All religions are equal based on the internal core.
• Ideas Related to Education:
  • Main objective is overall development of the human being: physical, mental, intellectual, social, moral, and spiritual.
  • "Education is not merely training the mind; it is training the soul."

4. Dr. B. R. Ambedkar

• Overview: "Father of the Indian Constitution."
• Realist and Practical Thinker: Emphasizes the Constitution and laws.
• Constitutional Values: Equality, fraternity, liberty, social/political/economic justice, rule of law, democratic republic, freedom of expression, secularism.
• Social Justice: Worked to remove social and caste-based discrimination and untouchability.
• Two Dimensions of Caste:
  • Economic: Type of work. Weakening over time.
  • Social: Position, prestige. Remaining strong.
• Hindu Religion: Should have a common authentic book and fill religious posts through exams (to allow lower castes equal opportunity).
• Advice to Lower Castes: Give up traditional professions and focus on education.
• Social Dimension: To decrease social discrimination of cast, promote inter-caste marriages and dining.
• Disagreement with Gandhi:
  • Disagreed with Gandhi on the Varna system.
  • Disagreed with Gandhi’s approach of “change of heart” and called for legal and constitutional solutions.
• Religious Reform: Supported religious reforms in Hinduism. Criticized Hinduism for caste system and varna system.
• Buddhism: Adopted Buddhism and advocated for reforms within it. started 'Navyana'
• Women's Rights:
  • Criticized Islam for religious extremism and violation of women's rights.
  • Supported women's empowerment.
  • Double Discrimination: Lower-caste women face both gender and caste discrimination.
• Common Civil Code: Supported.
• Hindu Code Bill: Played an important role in its passage.
• Human Rights:
  • Supported.
  • Three Actions: Be educated, organize, and agitate to protect human rights.
• Three Main Advices to Future Generations:
  1. Abandon Gandhian methods (non-cooperation, civil disobedience) because they weaken law and order.
  2. Political democracy is not sufficient; social democracy must be achieved.
  3. Do not surrender completely to charismatic leadership; maintain critical thinking.
• Central Government: Supported a strong central government to eliminate separatist ideologies.
• Opposition to Ideologies: Opposed both communism and capitalism.

5. Maharishi Arvindo

• New Vedanta Thinker: A modern philosopher integrating spirituality with materialism.
• Concept of Integral Monism: Brahman despite being spiritual , encompasses materialism.
• Belief About Brahman: The world and humanity are imperfect expressions of the divine.
• Darwin's Theory of Evolution: Added to the physical evolution, now mental evolution is occurring.
• Supreme Element: Sachchidananda, expressed in various forms.
• Eight Levels of Development: Matter, Prana (Life Energy), Manas (Mind), Super Manas (Higher Mind), Anand (Bliss), Chit (Consciousness), and Sat (Pure Being).
• Present Level: Manas(Mind). The next stage is Super Manas, through which one will experience Sachchidananda (Liberation). Emphasized collective liberation over individual.
• Integral Yoga: A form of yoga to transcend the Manas and attain Super Manas, leading to collective liberation. Through this divine life will descend on earth.
• Yoga as Unity:
  • Uniting soul with God, finite with infinite.
  • Includes Hatha Yoga, Raja Yoga, Karma Yoga.
• Transformation: Through yoga, physical, mental, and biological transformation takes place.
• Three Levels of Transformation:
  1. Process of Atmcd raikta: Develops spiritual awareness and eliminates negative emotions (ego, anger, greed, lust).
  2. Process of Spirituality: Strengthens the spiritual self, attaining peace, happiness, and stability.
  3. Process of Supermind: Achieves a state of higher self-knowledge where all distinctions and dualities dissolve.