The Varied Aspects of Feminine in Tagore's Philosophical Paradigm

Abstract

The paradigm of the great poet and Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore's philosophical thinking can never be overlooked or disregarded. In his literature, women have been depicted repeatedly in different guises, in different forms. Feminism is an indispensable part of the scope of philosophy as well as Rabindranath’s philosophy. The main topic of this article is to discuss the contemporary relevance of women in Rabindranath’s thinking from the perspective of feminism in philosophy. Around the world, feminist movements were developed as a means of fighting against women's oppression in the 19th century. The essence of women reverberates the fact that there is no inherent difference between men and women, other than the sole difference of the biological one - and throughout the ages, activists accepting this view have been regarded as liberal feminists and those who don't accept it are called moderate feminists. Although Rabindranath, on one hand, has presented us with the notion of the modern woman, on the other hand, he has also prioritized the amelioration of such women as well. But simultaneously a question arises regarding whether his notions about women should be accepted as progressive or regressive ones. Various female characters in Rabindranath's poems, plays, and works of literature, novels, songs, and short stories have created an irresistible curiosity for today's feminist consciousness. A question still lingers - among these female characters, who are being regarded as the ideal women or the free women, and more importantly, why? The illustration of women's thought processes in his literature goes through their characteristic interpretations with the evolution of time and cements their entire being as the narrative progresses.