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A STUDY ON GANDHIAN PHILOSOPHY

CHAPTER 1

INTRODUCTION

Mahatma Gandhi is considered to be one of the unrivalled leaders of all

ages and all countries. His personality of people of the whole world. He
was treated as God-incarnate on earth. He was a man of action and
discipline. He believed in non-violence and peace. He was a humanist
out and out. He gave stress on fellow-feeling, love, brotherhood and
reject hatred. He was the saint among the politicians and the politician
among the saints. He depended on the great moral force of the self and
liked ethical values more. He was a true nationalist and the greatest
leader of the national freedom movement in India. He was just like a
Cold Fire which smoke-burnt the mighty British Empire in India. For
his outstanding contributions towards Indian nationalism,
Independence and value system, Mahatma Gandhi is considered as the
father of Indian nation. Mahatma Gandhi had risen to such a height of
human perfection that one of the greatest scientist of the world Albert
Einstein remarked on him, Generations to come will scare believe that
such a one, as this ever in flesh and blood, walked upon this earth.

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Objectives:-

(1) To study on Gandhian philosophy.

(2) To find out relevance of philosophy in present day.

Methodology:-

This study has been based on philosophical method. The data are taken
from secondary sources like Newspapers, Books, Journal, Magazines,
different websites from Internet, etc.

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CHAPTER II

ANALYSIS

(1) Gandhijis Philosophy of Life

Mahatma Gandhi was a practical philosopher, an external seeker after

truth and an apostle peace and non-violence. Gandhiji believed in one
God and in his absolute control. As the rays of the same source,
similarly gandhiji believed that there might be so many religions and
beliefs. Their only source was God according to him. God is indefinable
and his mysterious powers provide everybody and everything in this
universe. God is life, light and truth. He is also an in carnation of the
universal love and compassion.

Truth as well as non-violence are the spirit of his life. Truth is the end
and non-violence is a means. Satyagraha according to Gandhiji is a
resistance to evil through love. After possessing the quality of couange
or fearlessness only an individual can start Satyagraha movement
fighting against any evil, social, political or economic. Mahatma Gandhi
has defined Satyagraha as the belief in the power of truth. Mahatma
Gandhi believed in the human brotherhood and in the establishment of
a universal community of free persons without artificial barrier of
caste, creed, colour, wealth and power.

Mahatma Gandhi sacrificed his life for establishing Ram Rajya, a

classless society in which there will be no distinction between high and
low, rich and poor. Gandhiji believed in plain living and high thinking.
Many people think him an ascetic.

Gandhiji was not merely a visionary and a philosopher. He was not a

profounder, but also a practitioner. His philosophy is not static and
impractical. It is dynamic as well as pragmatic. On the whole, he wished

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and worked for setting up a new social order based on Truth and Non-
violence and free from all kinds of exploitation and injustice. This is his
dream of Rama Rajya.

2. Gandhijis Philosophy of Education

Generally people regard Gandhiji as a great politician only. But the fact
is that he valued social reform and development more than more
political growth and advancement. According to him in an evil society,
no concept of any good rule is possible. As such, he advocated social
revolution. In this, the main role to be played was by education.
Gandhiji basic education was the practical embodiment of his
philosophy of education. The main aim of basic education was to purify
the heart and mind of all people and create a society free from all
exploitation and aggression. Viewed in this light Gandhiji was a great
educationist also.

3. Ends and Means Relationship in Gandhian Philosophy

Religion and morality had a great impact on Mahatma Gandhi from his
early childhood. Mahatma Gandhi established a very close and
inseparable relationship between the ends and the means. To him, they
are just like the two sides of a single coin and he desired both of them
to be moral and just. Mahatma Gandhi considered means to be more
important than the ends. The means justify the ends. The same
relationship stands between the means and the ends as it stands
between the seed and the tree. If the means are pure, moral and just
the ends will automatically be so. If we take care of the means, the ends
will take care of themselves.

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4. Truth

Gandhiji always believed in truth and never, for any purpose what so
ever, swerved from the path of truth. Truth was the central theme of all
his thoughts, words and deeds. Truth was God to him. He said, where
the means are clean, there God is undoubtedly present with his
blessings. He accepted and practiced in his own life the spirit of
holding the truth till the last by Lord Rama and king Harishchandra.
Truth is eternal and the ultimate thing.

5. Gandhijis Philosophy of Non-violence or Ahimsa

Non-violence or Ahimsa is one of the basic ingredients of Manatma

Gandhis political philosophy. Gandhi did not create originally the
concept of non-violence but for the first time used it in a mass scale and
more particularly in political field. He himself has admitted, I have
nothing to teach to the world. Truth and non-violence are as old as hills.
Negatively speaking non-violence or ahimsa means not to do harm or
injury to anybody by following violence or ahimsa.

According to Gandhi, non-violence is composed of certain ingredients

like truth, inner purity, fasting, fearlessness, non-possession and
perseverance. A follower non-violence must have patience because the
result do not come immediately. Besides he must go on constantly
preserving or striving in his own way to achieve the goal.

6. Satyagraha

Satyagraha is the original innovation of Mahatma Gandhi. He used it

first in South Africa to resist the racial discrimination and
maltreatment to Indians there. However, later on he was much
influenced by Threalis essay on civil disobedience and held on to it
more vigorously. Satyagraha literally means agraha in satya or holding

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fast on to truth. The spirit of non-violence is wholly ingrained in the

concept of satyagraha. It is a technique of pursuing truthful ends
through purest love-force and soul-force. For Gandhi non-violence and
Satyagraha were synonymous. It is a moral force that can be used by
individuals as well as communities in each and every field starting from
domestic life to public life. It is the moral weapon of the strong to fight
against injustice, wrong deed, oppression and exploitation. To Gandhi
Satyagraha is the inherent and inalienable birth right of a man.

A Satyagrahi should be a morally strong person with faith in God. He

must be a person of discipline, self-control and purity of mind and
actions. He must be a Brahamachari and follow non-violence and truth.
Satyagraha can be achieve through different forms such as non-
cooperation, strike or bartal, picketing, boycott, civil disobedience,
fasting and hijarat.

7. Non-Cooperation

Gandhi was the pioneering force in the non-cooperation movement in

India which took place in the year 1921. He stressed on Swadeshi and
Khadi, discipline and sacrifice. Though he suddenly suspended the
movement in the year 1922 following buring down of 22 policemen at
Chauri-Chaura by the violent mob, the non-cooperation movement
exerted a compelling force on the British Administration in India. Non-
cooperation with the Government may take any of the following form
such as strike or hartal, picketing, social, ostracism.

8. Gandhiji and Sarvodaya

The concept of Sarvodaya is the original contribution of Mahatma

Gandhi. Sarvodaya literally means uplift (Udaya) of all (Sarva). For a
better and well balanced society there is the need of some kind of

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balance between the two which can be espoused by Sarvodaya. The

power of the people is to be awakened by creating a high moral
atmosphere in the society though truth, non-violence and puritan
means. Self sacrifice and not self-gain is the essence of sarvodaya.
Sarvodaya wants to create a new and higher kind of social order in
which there would be equality, harmony and emanicipation.

No poverty, no exploitation and no social evils would be there.

Untouchability, casteism and unemployment would be abolished.
Sarvodaya preaches self-limitation of human wants and the message of
love for humanity. It emphasizes rehabilitation and development of
villages long exploited.

9. Swadesi

Swadesi is a native term meaning the country-made goods and

services. As a device of non-cooperation with the British. Gandhi had
given emphasis on the use of those goods which are produced in his
immediate neighbourhood. He should give preference to local or
countrymade goods even if they are of inferior quality. Swadesi
develops the culture of work for all, socio-economic development and
national integration. The use of Charakha and spinning of Khadi
became nationally important. Khadi was the life and essence of Swadesi
movement. It could provide employment to millions of unemployed
Indians.

10. Industrialization

Gandhi was against industrilisation in western sense which involves

the use of large scale machinery. It created employment for a few but
unemployment for many. This is a capitalist trend which Gandhi
disappeared. In this process, machine becomes the master of man and

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not the vice-versa. It also creates so many social problems like family
disorganization, industrial slum, social alienation crime, etc. Gandhi,
therefore, favoured cottage industry. It gave work to all, preserved
naturality and maintained harmony.

11. Nationalism and Internationalism

In the vision of Mahatma Gandhi Nationalism and Internationalism are

closely linked with each other. They are complementary and not
contradictory to each other. To him internationalism is ingrained in
true nationalism. He was a true nationalist and he did not favour
narrow feelings Like communalism, etc. He was always against
aggressive forms of nationalism like Nazism and Fascism. He wrote I
live for Indias freedom and would die for it. he said I do not want
India to rise on the ruins of other nations. I would like to see India free
and strong so that she may offer herself as a willing and pure sacrifice
for the betterment of the world. Thus, his concept of nationalism was
in favour of the entire humanity and not against it. He was also of the
opinion that only a true nationalist can be an internationalist.

12. Gandhijis Philosophy of Swaraj

By Swaraj Gandhi meant freedom and self-rule for the teaming millions
of India. It is the political freedom truly available to all without
discrimination or inequality. Gandhi opposed the existing political set
up as it was based on centralization of power and authority. This was
definitely harmful for the people as it did not allow people to enjoy real
freedom of self-rule or Swaraj. Gandhijis concept of Swaraj involved
socio-political and economic equalities in true sense of the term. There
would be no exploitation of the poor and the downtrodden by the rich
and high-ups in the society. Gandhiji realized and said that the real

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India sits in villages. If villages develop then India would be developed.

Gandhiji visualized Swaraj as a constitutional and democratic political
order for India. By Swaraj he did not mean political freedom of India
only. Swaraj to him meant freedom from any kind of bondage and not
the British yoke alone. He said Swaraj for me means freedom for the
meanest of our countrymen. The Swaraj of my dream is the poor mans
Swaraj. By Swaraj he advocated the real freedom for all irrespective of
caste, colour, sex, religion, status and position. He said that Purna
Swaraj or complete independence of India was meaningless if people
did not enjoy the freedom (Swaraj) of availing the basic minimum life.

13. Gandhijis Philosophy of Ideal State or Rama Rajya

Gandhi criticized the present set-up of state as it was based on too

much centralization and violence. Truth and non-violence are the basic
ingredients of the State of his dreams which he call Rama Rajya or the
Ideal State. The concept of Rama Rajya is a spirit and is not theocratic.
Gandhi conceived King Rama as described in the Great Hindu Epic the
Ramayan as an incarnation of God coming down to earth for the
welfare of people and unholding truth. He himself was the concrete
example of Truth in human form. He loved Rama so much that when he
was assassinated he uttered only two words Hai Ram (Oh God).

PROPERTY AND TRUSTEESHIP OR SPIRITUAL SOCIALISM

Gandhi has created a novel idea of trusteeship. Trust literally means

faith or responsibility and a trustee is one on whom some faith or
responsibility is imposed. The idea of trusteeship develops in relation
to excess private property. He said that a man should not keep more
property than actually what he needs. Fear of tomorrow is the basic of
private property. This fear of tomorrow also means absence of faith in
God. Gandhi was against surplus private property. He wanted equitable
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distribution of wealth in order to give each man a scope to develop into

his full stature.
The trusteeship system requires a high degree of moral development.
In order to make the rich people realize their duties and
responsibilities towards the society. A truthful appeal should be made
and their conscience awakened. The rich and the poor would be
entitled to same privileges under this spiritual socialism which is to be
secured through love, non-violence and individual purification.
MORALITY, RELIGION AND POLITICS
Mahatma Gandhi stressed absolutely on the moral nature of human
beings. He believed that the cause of all social evils and maladies is the
immoral nature of men. Men must be moral by following certain code
of conduct. It is the religion which provides that code of conduct and
makes men moral. The main function of every religion is social
contract. That is to put certain restrictions rule, regulations so as to
avoid conflict, ill-feeling and immoral way of living in the society. He
believed in a universal religion and morality are the same and
interchangeable things as Gandhi believed. He believed and stressed
on the relevance of man society through morality and religion. Non-
violence is the means of realizing his Truth God. He wrote in Harizon
If the morals of a man are a matter of no concern, the form of worship
in a particular manner in a church or a mosque or a temple is an empty
formula. It may even be a hindrance to individual or social growth.
Instead of religious conversion the efforts should be on making Hindus
and Christians better Christians. Gandhi believed in the spirit of
Bhagawat Gita which taught the culture of Karmayoga or performing
ones duty without waiting for the result. It also means performance of
Swadharma or ones own profession on duty.

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Gandhi sought spiritualization of politics because politics devoid of

religion makes man corrupt, selfish, unreliable, materialistic and
unrealistic. He did not approve exploitation of religion for political
purposes. He has stress on the close relationship of religion with
politics in the following manner. Those who say that religion has no
relationship with politics do not understood the meaning of religion.
For me, there is no politics without religion. Politics is subordinate to
religion. Politics without religion is death-trap because it kills mans
soul. Therefore, he did not favour separation of religion from politics.

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Chapter III

CONCLUSION

Gandhiji is dead but Gandhism is alive. Mahatma Gandhi as a temporal

person is dead now. But his philosophy is eternally alive even today. His
idea of relationship between the ends and the means is of lasting
importance. To him, if the means is moral and good the ends must be so
and not expect clear and pure water throughout its course. The present
day socio-economic, cultural and political crisis are due to following
bad means for achieving good ends. He stressed on leading a moral life
with an ethical code of conduct by each man for the spiritual and moral
development of the society. This would lead to self-control and avoid
social conflicts. This is widely felt by the society now in the face of a
morally degraded public character.

Gandhis concept of Non-violence and Satyagraha are more relevant

today. Because everywhere there is violence, disturbance, military,
conflict and socio-political turmoil, peaceful constitutional and non-
violent approaches are required more today for solving combustible
and quarrelsome issues. He was against untouchability and racial
discrimination because he had basic faith in human beings. He believed
in natural equality among men. The World public opinion today is in
favour of that. He was a true nationalist and also a true internationalist.
The modern World is more interested to reconcile nationalism with
internationalism. Peace, not war is the crying need of the day. Premier
international bodies like UNO and Non-alignment Movement are
working hard in this direction. Gandhi strongly favoured
decentralization of power and authority with autonomy to village
republics.

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SUGGESTIONS

Now-a-days, the villages get utmost priority in Government plans and

programmes. All modern states are more or less welfare states because
the need of the day is welfarism. His concept of Swaraj and democracy
quite agree with the modern liberal ideas which are much in demand
today. He was strongly against dowry, the implication of which is felt
more today. His advocacy of prohibition disapproval of Child Marriage
are also widely accepted in modern societies. In view of all these facts
and figures Gandhism today is not only relevant to India but also to the
whole World and humanity.

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BIBLIOGRAPHY

The Philosophy of Mahatma Gandhi: D. M. Datta

Gandhi as a Political Thinker: B. S. Sharma

Selection from Gandhi: N. K. Bose

Indian Philosophy: Basanta Kumar Lal

Indian Political Thought: Gaurang Charan Nayak

The Mind of Mahatma Gandhi: Harischandra Sahoo

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