Philosophical reconstruction of contemporary education in light of Vivekananda's vedantic thought
Dipak Choudhury, Jayati Maiti
International Journal of Literacy and Education June 1, 2026 DOI: 10.22271/27891607.2026.v6.i6a.458 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Key points | Argues that contemporary education suffers a crisis of meaning, ethical erosion, and instrumental reduction of people to economic units, and proposes a seven-pillar "Vedantic Educational Framework" derived from Swami Vivekananda's thought. Contends that Vivekananda's Vedantic educational philosophy is a living, generative resource for reimagining 21st-century education rather than a historical artifact. |
Abstract
Contemporary education stands at a philosophical crossroads, beset by a profound crisis of meaning, ethical erosion, and an increasingly instrumental orientation that reduces human beings to economic units. This research undertakes a systematic philosophical reconstruction of contemporary education through the prism of Swami Vivekananda's Vedantic thought, a corpus of ideas that synthesises classical Advaita Vedanta with a dynamic, socially engaged humanism. The study proposes a seven-pillar Vedantic Educational Framework (VEF) for contemporary reconstruction, encompassing: Atman-centric personhood, non-dual consciousness, character as curriculum, harmony of head-heart-hand, universal brotherhood, self-realisation as the telos of education, and contemplative pedagogy. The findings suggest that Vivekananda's Vedantic educational philosophy is not merely a historical artifact but a living, generative philosophical resource for reimagining education in the 21st century.