Question:
S. Radhakrishnan, in his \textit{An Idealistic View of Life, delineates the nature of ultimate reality as “pure consciousness, pure freedom and infinite possibility.” Which school of Indian Philosophy influenced him most?}
S. Radhakrishnan, in his \textit{An Idealistic View of Life, delineates the nature of ultimate reality as “pure consciousness, pure freedom and infinite possibility.” Which school of Indian Philosophy influenced him most?}
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Advaita Vedānta is the school that emphasizes Brahman as pure consciousness—the closest match to Radhakrishnan’s idealistic metaphysics.
Updated On: Nov 21, 2025
- Advaita Vedānta
- Sāṅkhya
- Cārvāka
- Mīmāṃsā
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The Correct Option is A
Solution and Explanation
Step 1: Understanding Radhakrishnan’s philosophy.
S. Radhakrishnan is well known for interpreting Indian philosophy through an idealistic and spiritual lens. In An Idealistic View of Life, he describes ultimate reality in terms of pure consciousness, limitless freedom, and infinite potential—ideas that strongly resonate with non-dualistic spiritual thought.
Step 2: Matching the description with schools of Indian thought.
- Advaita Vedānta teaches that ultimate reality (Brahman) is pure consciousness—unchanging, infinite, and the ground of all existence. This aligns exactly with Radhakrishnan’s description. - Sāṅkhya is dualistic and does not describe ultimate reality as pure consciousness. - Cārvāka is materialistic and denies metaphysical consciousness altogether. - Mīmāṃsā focuses on ritualism and not on pure consciousness as the ultimate reality.
Step 3: Conclusion.
Radhakrishnan’s description aligns most closely with Advaita Vedānta, which identifies ultimate reality as pure, infinite consciousness.
S. Radhakrishnan is well known for interpreting Indian philosophy through an idealistic and spiritual lens. In An Idealistic View of Life, he describes ultimate reality in terms of pure consciousness, limitless freedom, and infinite potential—ideas that strongly resonate with non-dualistic spiritual thought.
Step 2: Matching the description with schools of Indian thought.
- Advaita Vedānta teaches that ultimate reality (Brahman) is pure consciousness—unchanging, infinite, and the ground of all existence. This aligns exactly with Radhakrishnan’s description. - Sāṅkhya is dualistic and does not describe ultimate reality as pure consciousness. - Cārvāka is materialistic and denies metaphysical consciousness altogether. - Mīmāṃsā focuses on ritualism and not on pure consciousness as the ultimate reality.
Step 3: Conclusion.
Radhakrishnan’s description aligns most closely with Advaita Vedānta, which identifies ultimate reality as pure, infinite consciousness.
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