Brajendra Nath Seal | |
|---|---|
 Brajendra Nath Seal,c. 1911 | |
| Born | 3 September 1864 |
| Died | 3 December 1938 Calcutta, Bengal Presidency, British India |
| Nationality | Indian |
| Education | |
| Occupations |
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| Spouse | Indumati Rakshit[1] |
| Parent | Mahendra Nath Seal (father) |
SirBrajendra Nath Seal (Bengali:ব্রজেন্দ্রনাথ শীল; 3 September 1864 – 3 December 1938) was aBengali Indianhumanist philosopher.[2][3] He served as the second vice chancellor ofMysore University.
He began his career as a lecturer at theScottish Church College.[2] His research works were published in some of leading journals during theBritish Raj, such as theCalcutta Review,Modern Review,New India,Dawn,Bulletin of Mathematical Society,Indian Culture,Hindustan Standard,British Medical Journal,Prabasi,Sabuj Patra, andVisva-Bharati.[2]
Brajendranath Seal was born inHaripal,Hoogly District (inWest Bengal), in 1864. His father Mohendranath Seal was one of the earliest followers ofComteanpositivism in Bengal. As a student of philosophy at the General Assembly's Institution (nowScottish Church College, Calcutta), he became attracted to Brahmo theology. And along with his better-known classmate and friend Narendranath Dutta, the futureSwami Vivekananda, he regularly attended meetings of theSadharan Brahmo Samaj. Later they would part ways with Dutta aligning himself withKeshub Chunder Sen's New Dispensation (and later on to found his own religious movement, theRamakrishna Mission) and Seal staying on as an initiated member.[citation needed]
Seal was the inaugural chair of philosophy at India's first graduate school in philosophy at theUniversity of Calcutta.[4] Seal was regarded as 'a versatile scholar in many branches of learning, both scientific and humanistic,' and in his major workThe Positive Sciences of Ancient Hindus demonstrated 'interrelations among the ancient Hindu philosophical concepts and their scientific theories.'[4] He was appointed as the principal ofKrishnath College inBerhampore.[5][6]
Seal was the keynote speaker at the first session of theFirst Universal Races Congress of 1911 on 26 July 1911, which gathered speakers and attendees from across the world to discuss racial issues and encourage international cooperation. Part of his address included the declaration that
We are assisting at a solemn function, the conferring of a new charter, the charter of the modern conscience, on each race and nation as a member of the world-system... From this watch-tower of Humanity, we seem to hear the measureless tread of generations behind and before, to witness the universal march and procession of Humanity, at the opening of a new era...[7]
Michael Biddiss notes that Seal's opening words 'set the tone of effusion and euphoria' which pervaded much of the Congress as a whole.[7] Seal served as the vice chancellor of Mysore University from 1921 and retired in 1930 following a paralytic stroke.[8]
Source:[2]
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