S. Radhakrishnan's Philosophy of Religion

ABOUT THE BOOK This highly researched work of Professor Paitoon Patyaiying depicts S. Radhakrishnan's Philosophy of Religion. Radhakrishnan is the real philosopher king who walks on this planet in accordance with Plato's theory. He used his pure philosophical methods analyze religion that became the applied philosophy, namely philosophy of religion. This unique work vividly showed how Radhakrishnan examined religion with his various methods of anthropological method, sociological method, phenomenological method etc. He again presented his philosophical development regarding the meaning of religion, the essence of religion, personal experience of God and religious experience. This work also presents how Radhakrishnan interpreted the character of religious experience, God. and Self, Religion and Symbol, Religion: and Science, Faith and Religion. Radhakrishnan was, no doubt, a devoted Hindu. Therefore, this work specially focuses on Radhakrishnan's understanding of Hinduism, the meaning and scope of Hinduism, Hinduism and Ethics, Law of Karma and human freedom, the Concept of Dharma, the sources of Dharma, the Ultimate Reality, Brahman and Atman, Avidya, Maya and Avidya, liberation, inter religious dialogue and tolerance etc.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Dr. Paitoon Patyaiying completed his undergraduate education from Nakorn Srithammarat Teachers' College and Faculty of Education, Prince of Songkla University: his graduation and post-graduation. (M. A. in General Philosophy) from Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, India in 1975, and Ph. D. in Philosophy) under the Cultural Scholarship Scheme of the Goverment of India from Vishva Bharathi University, Shantiniketan, India in 1985.

Dr. Paitoon Patyaiying has served as a University Professor at the Department of Philosophy & Religion, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, Prince of Songkla University, Pattani, Thailand for thirty years; presently he is the Acting Director, Rajabhat University, Suphanburi Campus, Suphanburi, Thailand. He has a vast administrative and academic experiences at Prince of Songkla University as an Acting Secretary, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, Head of the Department of Philosophy and Religion, Associate Dean for Students Affairs, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, Vice Director for Administrative Affairs, Institute of Southeast Asian Studies, member of the different academic committees such as the Lecturer Promotion Committee and the Assistant Professor Promotion Committee. Thai Studies, Chinese, Korean, Indian and Western Philosophy; Aesthetics and Philosophy of Religion are the fields of specialization from which Dr. Paitoon: Patyaiying teaches metaphysics, epistemology, logic and comparative philosophy for more than twenty-five years, Author of Thailand and Asian Values," "Important Thoughts in Indian Philosophy," "Theories and Development," "Epistemology, "Aesthetics: Theories and Thoughts," "Philosophy of Religion," and other books in English and Thai Language, Dr. Paitoon Patyaiying has been a Visiting Professor at various universities outside Thailand such as Visiting Professor of Thai Studies and Thai Language at Hankuk University of Foreign Studies and Foreign Languages, Seoul, the Republic of Korea for two years and a Visiting Professor at University of Wollongong, Australia, various universities in Laos, Malaysia and Singapore. Besides, he has actively participated in a number of national and international seminars and conferences for the last thirty years; has written for various national/ international journals of repute.)

INTRODUCTION I always admire Sir Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, the second President of the Republic of India, the world's largest democratic country and one of the greatest contemporary Indian philosophers. 1 consider him the real ideal philosopher king like Plato the Greek Philosopher, Lao Tzu, the founder of Taoism and Confucius, the founder of Confucianism in China.

He was one of the most intriguing philosophers who were deeply interested in religion at a time when there was also extensive agreement that religious belief, as traditionally understood, has markedly declined in its intrinsic significance for most members of modern societies. He uses the methods of philosophy to apply to world religion, which become philosophy of religion. Philosophy of Religion, according to his interpretation expresses the clear mark for the readers to understand.

This small book shows how Radhakrishnan reinterprets religion with his philosophical points of view regarding meaning of religion, essence of religion, personal experience of God, religious experience, its character and variety of expression, 'God' and 'Self', religion and symbolism, religion and science, faith and religion, intuition and religion. The book also presents his understanding of Hinduism for the readers to follow..

**Contents and Sample Pages**