Crisis in Civilization | Tagore's opinion on Western Civilization

Crisis in Civilization | Tagore's opinion on Western Civilization

Q. Rabindranath Tagore's opinion on Western Civilization as presented in “Crisis in Civilization.”

Answer: Rabindranath Tagore was one of the greatest poets in Indian literature in English. He was also one of the milestones in Bengali literature. He was awarded the Nobel Prize in 1913 for his poetic oeuvre, the Gitanjali. He had expressed his opinions on western civilization. He believed that the people in western civilization had lost their spiritual essence. They had become overly materialistic and individualistic.

Rabindranath Tagore pointed out that the people in western civilization had stressed a lot on the development of science and technology. The involvement in scientific technology has actually cut humanity off from nature. It has led both the environment and human beings on the path of aggressiveness. Tagore has pointed out that this was one of the flaws of western civilization. He has argued that this materialistic outlook of western civilization had created an imbalance in society. As a result, they have created inequalities in social and economic circumference.

Rabindranath Tagore also criticized the educational system of the western civilization. The educational system of western civilization paid attention to achieving more and more knowledge, instead of to the total development of a person. He believed that education should be used to create morality, empathy and interrelations within a nation instead of creating a specialist for such a single phenomenon.

Moreover, Tagore argued that western civilization had ignored the importance of spiritual and cultural evaluation. He emphasized the amalgamation of science, art and spiritual aspects. Because he believed that these aspects were very essential for the welfare of society and the nation.

In fact, the opinions of Rabindranath Tagore about western civilization are quite comprehensive and important. He emphasized the unification of the spiritual and artistic culture of a nation. His opinions can be treated as a critique of its materialism, individualism and the neglect of spiritual and cultural dimensions.

Rabindranath Tagore calls for the revelation of social value. He also emphasized the interconnectedness of all the aspects of human existence. He also asked for a balanced approach to development with the help of fine arts and technology. He advised that our development should not be overcharged with the development of science and technology, forgetting our arts and culture.

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