The Socio-Political Philosophy of Swami Vivekananda

Abstract

The influence of Swami Vivekananda on the INDIAN Nationalist Movement is well-known. Swami Vivekananda was not only a visionary, or a monk but a nationalist and a reformer par excellence. Many in our own country think that religion and mysticism and social amelioration and political and economic reconstruction cannot unite and declare that the secular and spiritual ideals are polar opposites. Such a notion has been responsible for the gross misrepresentations of the spirit of Indian philosophy, religion and culture, but the mystics, the saints and the sages of India prove standing refutation of this gross misconception. India's foreign domination is also attributed to her religion which is considered to be dreamy, idealistic, fatalistic, world-denying, pessimistic and unethical and other - wordly. Swami Vivekananda's contribution to a faithful and sympathetic representation of India's aspirations and ideals in foreign lands cannot be gainsaid. Swami Vivekananda created not only a lofty Advaita Vedantic Ideal under a order new religious know as Ramkrishna Mission but founded a new epoch in the life of the Indian people also on social, economic, and political fronts in consistency with India's past heritage and in harmony with the Western ideals. Swami Vivekananda is that man who has understood the Ashwath tree" having its root (One) above and branches (manifold) below and (which is) avyaya (which will never perish) Srimand Bhagwat Geeta XV-I.

To my knowledge there has not been a single work so far exclusively on Swami Vivekananda's social and political philosophy. There is a vast kproportion of unutilised materials with respect to his political and social views. He was a protagonist of Hindu Social ideas and a precursor of socialism. He championed in his own time the causes of the down-trodden masses and the exploited poor class. He was much in advance of his age and prophesied the rule of the proletarist. It is necessary, therefore, that a thorough study of his social and political ideals be made particularly at a time when the younger generation feels attracted to the Western ideals without looking to its own treasures suitable to its own surroundings. The present work, therefore, is a systematic study of his social and political views in the light of modern Western doctrines, for only in this way can we adequately appreciate the treasures of India's constructive thinking on social and political ideals which are not so well-known. This work therefore, will prove a contribution to India's social and political thought at a time when much is talked in the world-councils about peace, equality, fraternity, co-operation etc. India may make some contributions to the mitigation of tension and unrest widespread in the world. Thus subject matter of the present thesis has been divided into eight chapters.