What is Gandhian philosophy?

• Gandhian Philosophy is the religious and social ideas adopted and

developed by Mahatma Gandhi.
• Gandhian Philosophy exists on several planes – spiritual or religious, moral,
political, economic, social, individual, and collective.
• Gandhian Philosophy emphasizes not utopian idealism, but practical
idealism.

Roots of Gandhian Philosophy

• Gandhi was born in India in 1869. From 1893 to 1914, he lived in South
Africa. Later, he emerged as the face of the Indian freedom movement.
• The base of Gandhian philosophy is the spiritual or religious component. He
was a firm believer in God.
• He was also a believer in humanity.
• He believed that human nature is good. He considered all people to be
capable of moral development.
• Gandhiji developed these ideologies from various inspirational sources such
as Bhagavad Geeta, Jainism, Buddhism, the Bible, Gopal Krishna Gokhale,
Tolstoy, and John Ruskin among others.
• Leo Tolstoy’s book ‘The Kingdom of God is Within You’ had a
deep influence on Mahatma Gandhi. The same was the case with John
Ruskin’s ‘Unto This Last’.
• Gandhiji paraphrased Ruskin’s book ‘Unto This Last’ as ‘Sarvodaya’, which
meant the upliftment of all.
• The goal of Gandhi was to change society and each individual using the
values of honesty and nonviolence.
• These ideas were further developed by many followers of Gandhi who
proudly called themselves “Gandhians”.
• Those who actively followed Gandhian principles in life include Vinoba
Bhave, Jayaprakash Narayan, and Martin Luther King Jr.

IMPORTANT GANDHIAN PHILOSOPHIES

1. TRUTH AND NON-VIOLENCE

These are generally considered to be the two key ingredients of Gandhian

thought.
It is possible to pursue one without the other. Thus, seeking the truth can be
done violently. Nations enter conflicts assuming they are on the side of truth or
that the truth is on their side.

Those who are more sensitive and think the truth is on their side demand that a
just war should be fought instead of one that is avoided at all costs.

The most sensitive were the pacifists among them. By avoiding violence
altogether. But it could be argued that in doing so they have gone too far and
abandoned truth, especially when interpreted as justice.

Even Mahatma Gandhi argued that although he was opposed to war, the two
parties engaging in it may not stand on the same plane: the cause of one side
could be more just than the other so that even a nonviolent person might wish to
extend his or her moral support to one side rather than to the other.

Thus just as it is possible to pursue truth without being nonviolent, it is also

possible to pursue nonviolence without pursuing truth.

It could be proposed that such a disjunction between the two runs the risk of
cowardice being mistaken for, or masquerading as nonviolence.

The point becomes clear if we take the word “truth” to denote the “right” thing
to do in a morally charged situation.

Gandhi’s opinion on the Non-violent Way

By using a non-violent approach, we aim to eliminate capitalism, not the

capitalist. We encourage the investor to think of himself as a trustee for people
who rely on him to create, hold onto, and grow his capital.

The worker is not required to wait for his conversion. Work is power if money
is. Both are depending upon one another.

The moment the worker recognizes his potential, he is in a position to stop

being the capitalist’s slave and start sharing in his success.

If he aims at becoming the sole owner, he will most likely be killing the goose
that lays the golden eggs.
No need for me to worry that someone will replace me if I refuse to cooperate.
Because I hope to persuade my co-workers to oppose my employer’s
wrongdoing, This method of mass worker education is undoubtedly a slow one,
but as it is also the most reliable, it must also be the fastest.

It is simple to show in the end that the worker is right and that no human being
is so flawless as to merit his eliminating the person whom he mistakenly
believes to be completely evil.

2. SATYAGRAHA

The concept was introduced in the early 20th century by Mahatma Gandhi and
designated a determined but nonviolent resistance to evil.

The supreme idea of truth naturally leads to the Gandhian ideology of

Satyagraha. Protecting the standards and tenets of truth is essential if it is the
ultimate reality. God, who is the utmost truth and reality, requires a votary who
is completely compassionate and unselfish.

Gandhi’s Satyagraha became a major tool in the Indian struggle against British
imperialism and has since been adopted by protest groups in other countries.

The ancient Indian philosophy of ahimsa, or “non-injury,” which is rigorously

practised by Jains, many of whom reside in Gujarat, where Gandhi was raised,
is the inspiration behind Satyagraha.

Gandhi also drew inspiration from the works of Leo Tolstoy and Henry David
Thoreau, the Bible, and the Bhagavad Gita, on which he produced a
commentary, to modernize the notion of ahimsa and give it broad political
implications as Satyagraha.

Gandhi first conceived Satyagraha in 1906 in response to a law discriminating

against Asians that was passed by the British colonial government of the
Transvaal in South Africa.

In 1917, the Champaran district, which produced indigo, hosted the first
Satyagraha campaign in India. Fasting and economic boycotts were used as
Satyagraha tactics in India over the ensuing years, up until the British left in
1947.
Since Satyagraha depends on the opponent, who is the embodiment of evil,
upholding a high standard of ethical conduct, and demands an unreasonably
high level of commitment from those working for social change, critics of the
movement have asserted that it is unrealistic and incapable of achieving
universal success.

These arguments have been made both during Gandhi’s lifetime and since.
However, Satyagraha left a lasting legacy in South Asia and was a key
component of the civil rights movement headed by Martin Luther King Jr. in
the United States.

3. SARVODAYA

• The word “Sarvodaya” means “Universal Uplift” or “Progress of All.”

The phrase was first used by Mohandas Gandhi to describe the aim of his
political philosophy in his 1908 translation of “Unto This Last,” a work
by John Ruskin on political economy.
• Later Gandhians adopted the phrase as a moniker for the social
movement in post-independence India that worked to ensure that self-
determination and equality reached all strata of Indian society, including
the Indian nonviolence leader Vinoba Bhave.

Objectives of the Sarvodaya Movement

• The Sarvodaya Movement has as its target the establishment of a

whole network of such self-supporting village communities.
• Family ties, which are currently restricted to blood groups, will be
extended to include the entire village, erasing any disparities based on
race, creed, caste, language, and other factors.
• The planning of agriculture will ensure that there is enough food for
everyone. Up until everyone in the hamlet has a job, the industry will
operate on a cottage basis.
• Village Council, a body that represents the entire village, will be
responsible for determining the requirements of the community.

PRINCIPLES OF THE SARVODAYA

• There is no centralized authority, and there is a political and

economic atmosphere in the villages.
• The spirit of love, fraternity, truth, nonviolence, and self-sacrifice will
permeate all people. The foundation of society will be nonviolence.

• There will be no party system and majority rule and society will be
free from the evil of the tyranny of the majority.

• Socialist in the truest sense, the Sarvodaya society. The same ethical, social,
and financial standards will apply to all calls. The greatest potential for
development exists within each person’s personality.

• Sarvodaya society is based on equality and liberty. There is no room in it

for unwholesome competition, exploitation, and class hatred.

• Sarvodaya is a symbol of universal progress. Every person should work

independently and adhere to the concept of non-possession. The goal of:
from each according to his effort and each according to his needs will then
be achievable.

• There won’t be any private property, which serves as a weapon of

exploitation and a breeding ground for prejudice and hatred. Similar to how
the profit motive will vanish, rent and interest will also disappear.

• The Sarvodaya Movement is based on Truth, nonviolence, and Self-denial.

• The Sarvodaya Movement makes an earnest and audacious effort to foster

the environment required to unite such people with steadfast trust in the
Welfare of All.

• The benefit to the person would be little. Each quality’s growth is dependent
on every other quality. If every quality were somewhat enhanced, the person
would benefit more.

4. SWADESHI

• The combination of two Sanskrit terms yields the English word

“Swadeshi,” which has Sanskrit roots. Swa and desh both refer to one’s
own or one’s nation.
• Swadesh, therefore, refers to one’s homeland. The adjectival version of
the word swadeshi, which means “of one’s own country,” can be loosely
translated as “self-sufficiency” in most settings.
 THE MESSAGE OF THE CHARKHA

• Gandhiji asserts that the Charkha has the distinction of being able to
address the issue of economic distress in a way that is most logical,
straightforward, affordable, and professional.
• It stands for both the wealth and freedom of the country. It represents
commercial peace rather than commercial strife.
• The spinning-meaning wheel is considerably bigger than its diameter.
Simple life, helping others, living without hurting others, and forging an
unbreakable tie between the wealthy and the poor, capital and labour,
and the prince and the peasant are all part of its teachings. Naturally, the
bigger lesson applies to everyone.

5. TRUSTEESHIP

• Trusteeship is a key component of Gandhian economics that could

be called the nonviolent equivalent of ownership.
• The idea was taken from English law by Gandhi. It denotes that one is a
trustee rather than the owner of their belongings, including eventually
their skills or abilities.
• All must be used for the greater good of society, which includes one’s
own welfare in the end. In this system, material possessions do not serve
as status symbols that increase our sense of self-worth.
• Trusteeship is a successful strategy for reducing excessive consumption.
The economy might be rebalanced under trusteeship and put its focus
back on pressing needs.
• Gandhi believed that possessing more than one need necessarily entails
robbing others of their requirements. There is enough on the earth to
meet everyone’s needs, but not enough to satisfy everyone’s greed, he
said.

THE RELEVANCE OF GANDHIAN PHILOSOPHY IN MODERN

TIMES

Economics

• Make in India is a manifestation of Gandhi’s ideals of self-sufficiency.

• Gandhi’s philosophy of inclusive growth is fundamental to the building of a
resurgent rural India.
• He believed in “production by the masses” rather than in mass production, a
distinctive feature of the Industrial Revolution.
Environment

• Gandhi warned the country of unrestricted industrialism and exploitation of

nature for human greed. He also never wanted anything like Green
Revolution instead he always thought of reducing population because
everything comes with a cost, and now we are facing problems related to
organic farming.
• The results of not adhering to Gandhian environmentalism are serious
environmental damage and non-sustainable development.

Administration

By emulating Gandhi’s values of non-violence and Satyagraha, internal matters

such as insurgency issues in Kashmir, central India, or the North-Eastern states
might be handled much better.

International

Even India’s foreign policy is founded on peaceful coexistence, and this is seen in
the fact that India does not engage in aggression initially, even when security
threats mount.

To conclude we can say that most of the teachings of Mahatma Gandhi hold
relevance even in today’s world.

Seven Social Sins by Mahatma Gandhi

Seven Social Sins by Mahatma Gandhi were first published in his newspaper
Young India in 1925. Those are a comprehensive list of behaviours that cause
serious harm to society.

1. Wealth without Work

2. Pleasure without Conscience

3. Knowledge without Character

4. Commerce (Business) Without Morality (Ethics)

5. Science without Humanity

6. Religion without Sacrifice

7. Politics without Principle

• Wealth without Work: It depicts making wealth by unfair means, by taking

shortcuts. Examples: Black Money, Tax evasion, scams, insider trading, etc.

• Pleasure without Conscience: Earning happiness at the expense of others is

equivalent to sin. Selfishness compels a person to disregard the needs of
others. Without moral justification, it would promote bad practices.
Additionally, it would lead to a rise in drug and alcohol abuse as well as
mindless shopping.

• Knowledge without character: A person with character possesses attributes

of honesty and integrity. A person who commits this vice may end up like
Osama Bin Laden, while a person with moral character may end up like
Swami Vivekananda.

• Business without morality: One particular segment of the community would

end up being overworked at the expense of another. Social friction and
community conflict would rise as a result of this. Examples of this sin
include unsafe working conditions, adulteration, and lack of security.

• Science without humanity: The huge pharmaceutical companies keep

prescription prices high, making them unaffordable for the poor and those in
need. If nuclear power is utilized to generate electricity, that is great, but
using it to destroy nations like Hiroshima and Nagasaki by bombing is
utterly immoral.

• Religion without sacrifice: Today’s religion consists merely of rituals and

activities. Sin is when we fail to live out the moral precepts of brotherhood,
compassion, and affection.

• Politics without principle: Criminalization of politics, unaccounted money,

and use of muscle power shows politics without principle.