Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan (1888-1975) is best known as the man who introduced the thinking of western idealist philosophers into Indian thought.
He showed how western philosophers, despite all claims to objectivity, were biased by theological influences from their wider culture. In one of his major works he also showed that Indian philosophy, once translated into standard academic jargon, is worthy of being called philosophy by western standards. His main contribution to Indian thought, therefore, is that he placed it "on the map", thereby earning Indian philosophy a respect that it had not had before. After 1946, his philosophical career was cut short when his country needed him as ambassador to UNESCO and later to Moscow. He was later to become Vice-President and finally President (1962-1967) of India.
He was awarded the Bharat Ratna in 1954.
