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VOL. 7, ISSUE 2 (2025)
The unwritten dialogue: Okakura Kakuzō’s influence on Rabindranath Tagore’s educational philosophy and the emergence of Asian Pedagogical Modernity
Authors
Arun Kumar Ghosh
Abstract
Rabindranath Tagore’s admiration for Japan and his
association with Okakura Kakuzō have been widely acknowledged by scholars of
Asian cultural modernity. Yet the pedagogical implications of their
relationship remain largely unexamined. This paper undertakes a critical study
of how Okakura’s aesthetic philosophy, ethical humanism, and educational vision
influenced, directly and indirectly, Tagore’s alternative model of schooling at
Santiniketan and Visva-Bharati. Employing archival research, comparative
textual analysis, intellectual history, and cross-cultural pedagogical
comparison, the study reconstructs an “unwritten dialogue” between the two
thinkers. It argues that Tagore’s critique of mechanistic colonial education
and his emphasis on artistic creativity, nature-centric learning, and spiritual
self-cultivation resonate deeply with Okakura’s aesthetic-ethical ideals. Their
shared outlook, this study contends, constitutes a model of Asian pedagogical
modernity, distinct from both Western progressive education and orthodox
nationalist schooling. The findings reposition Santiniketan as part of a larger
pan-Asian educational renaissance shaped significantly by Indo-Japanese
exchanges.
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Pages:44-48
How to cite this article:
Arun Kumar Ghosh "The unwritten dialogue: Okakura Kakuzō’s influence on Rabindranath Tagore’s educational philosophy and the emergence of Asian Pedagogical Modernity". International Journal of Educational Research and Studies, Vol 7, Issue 2, 2025, Pages 44-48
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