Bhattacharya, Haridas (1891-1956) philosopher and educationist, was born on 7 November 1891 at Bhatpara in west bengal. His father, Ramprasanna Shrutiratna Bhattacharya, was a scholar of sanskrit. Haridas Bhattacharya graduated from Calcutta's Scottish Church College in 1912, and in 1914 he obtained a Master's degree in Philosophy from Calcutta University. In 1917 he got his BL degree and passed the poetry examination of the Board of Sanskrit Studies. Around this time he won the Roychand-Premchand scholarship and the Mowat gold medal for his thesis entitled 'Evolution of the Soul'.

In 1915 Haridas Bhattacharya joined Scottish Church College as lecturer of Philosophy and Logic. In 1917 he joined Calcutta University as lecturer of Philosophy and Experimental Psychology. When university of dhaka was founded in 1921, he responded to the invitation of Vice-Chancellor PJ Hartog to join its Philosophy Department as reader. Haridas Bhattacharya also served in various other capacities at the university. He was editor of the Dhaka University Studies and member of the editorial board of the Philosophical Quarterly Journal.

Haridas Bhattacharya delivered several prestigious lectures such as the Stephonus Nirmalendu Ghosh lectures on Foundations of Living Faiths at Calcutta University in 1933-34 and the Madanmohan Malavya Commemoration lecture.

Haridas Bhattacharya's essays on psychological philosophy, philosophy of morality, philosophy of education, philosophy of society, Indian philosophy, philosophy of religion and philosophy of science were published in literary journals such as Philosophical Quarterly, Review of Philosophy and Religion, Religions of the World, Dacca University Journal, Dacca University Studies, Calcutta Review, Viswa Bharati Quarterly, Indian Journal of Psychology, Journal of Madras University, etc.

Haridas Bhattacharya was known essentially as an idealistic philosopher. For his contribution to philosophy, he was awarded the title of Darshansagar (Sea of Philosophy). He retired in 1947 after 26 years of service and later joined the Indology department of Benares Hindu University. He died in Calcutta on 20 January 1956. [Pradip Kumar Roy]