"Philosophy is the mother of art, literature, poetry and aesthetics. Its survival as a mainstream subject is indeed essential for human growth, collective evolution and universal wisdom."

Dr Sarvapalli Radhakrishnan, who himself was a world-renowned thinker, philosopher and Spalding Professor of Eastern Religions and Ethics at Oxford University

It's indeed painful to find that nowadays comparatively fewer students opt for philosophy as a subject, even at premier universities such as Oxford, Cambridge, Sorbonne, Bologna, Berkeley, California or Harvard in the Western world. The scenario in India is even worse.

Many varsities in India have dispensed with philosophy. Only at Calcutta and Madras Universities, and to some extent at Shantiniketan in West Bengal, one still finds students studying philosophy.

In Poona, once a cultural hub of western India, hardly a couple of colleges offer philosophy as a subject at the graduation level. Barely anyone pursues it at the master's level and a doctorate in philosophy is as rare as Halley's Comet! This is rather sad.

Why is philosophy no longer loved today? Once the strongest men were willing to die for it: Socrates chose to be its martyr rather than live in flight before its enemies; Plato risked himself twice to win a kingdom for it; Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius loved her (philosophy) more passionately than his throne; and Bruno burnt at the stake for loyalty to her.

Once thrones and papacies feared philosophy and imprisoned its votaries lest dynasties should fall. Athens exiled Protagoras, and Alexandria trembled before Hypatia; a great pope courted........

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