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Philosophy of Dr. Radhakrishnan
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this not l' appear when the l' is asserted, Dr. Radhakrishnan's answer is that it is Māyā, a mystery.
But, all these descriptions of the Absolute are imperfect attempts to understand the nature of the Absolute. As the Absolute is not a tangible object which we can touch or study, what we are to understand must be the world, including ourselves. As the structure of our thought is organic, we have to understand it is an organic whole. Hence, Dr. Radhakrishnan also s:lys that the nature of the Absolute cannot be apprehen. ded fully. He declares : “Pure Being which is the Absolute can only be indicated. It can be alluded to, but not described."*9
This once again shows the deep influence of Sankara on the Philosophy of Radhakrishnan. But in spite of being influenced by Sankıra, he also talks about the principle of God.
God
Over and above the principle of the Absolute, Radhakrishnan also talks about the principle of God. Two principles are conceived as basically one, as different ways of apprehending the sin: reality. Sankara makes a distinction between Parmurthic Dristi and Vyavathārika Dristi and the difference between the two is ultimately reduced to these two points of view.
Radhakrishnan also distinguishes between the Absolute and God though he does not reduce their discussion to the transcendental and practical point of view as has been done in Advaita Vedānta of Sankara. Radhakrishnan feels that in order to explain this universe it is necessary to think of a principle that would account for the order and purpose of the universe. Like whiteheid he also believes that one cannot account for the dynamic and creative character of the universe if the primary being or explaining principle also is not conceived as creative. Hence, he feels the necessity of a principle by which the indeterminateness of creativity can be transmuted into a determinate principle. This shows that the Divine Intelligence-ihe creative power-has to be conceived as the intermediary between the Absolute Being and the Cosmic Process.
