Structure

•  This question specifically asks about the values that played a part in your character Below is a brief up about Gandhian values. Use it as a reference point but you will need to write about the role they played in your life. Quote examples

Content

Ethics of Philosophy by M. K. Gandhi

The ideals and ideas of Mahatma Gandhi emanated partly from four major sources as follows:

• His inner religious convictions including ethical principles embedded in Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism and Christianity
• From the exigencies of his struggle against apartheid in South Africa and the mass political movements during India’s freedom struggle.
• Influence of Tolstoy, Carlyle, and Thoreau

In fact, ethics provides underpinning to Gandhian Thought and is so deep rooted in it that it is almost impossible to segregate the two. The key aspects of Gandhian Ethics are discussed here:

Gandhi’s Religion

Gandhi was born in a Hindu family and was a devout Hindu throughout his life. However, he was strongly influenced by the ideas of other religions and had deep interest in comparative religion. He was raised in a Hindu family deeply influenced by Jain religious ideas (particularly Ahimasa). When he visited England to study law, he was inspired by Theosophists to learn more about our ancient texts such as Bhagvad Gita. He spent 20 years in South Africa working for civil rights over there and devoted himself to study variety of religious literature. On his return to India, he established Ashram for his family and followers. Despite of having religious fervour, the Ashrams did not follow any particular orthodoxy. His religious virtues can be discussed summarily as follows:

Although Gandhi was font of Lord Rama, yet his concept of Rama and Krishna was not that of historical / epic age Gods Rama & Krishna. He said: “My Krishna is not the historical Krishna. I believe in the Krishna of my imagination as a perfect incarnation, spotless in every sense of the word, the inspirer of the Gita, and the inspirer of the lives of millions of human beings.” Further, he believed in oneness of God. He said: “one God is the cornerstone of all religions. But I do not foresee a time when there would be only one religion on earth in practice. In theory, since there is one God, there can be only one religion.” His view on Hinduism is also clear, as he said: Hinduism tells everyone to worship God according to his own Faith or Dharma and so it lives at peace with all the religions. He considered Buddha and Jesus Christ as great moral teachers of humanity. About Bible he said: ‘Make this world the Kingdom of God and His Righteousness and everything will be added unto you’. On Islam he said: “Islam’s distinctive contribution to India’s National Culture is its unadulterated belief in the Oneness of God and a practical application of the truth of the Brotherhood of Man for those who are nominally within its fold.”

As per Gandhi, religion is not sectarianism. It is a belief in moral government of the universe. Religion harmonises the religions and gives them reality.

Regarding Bhagwadgita, Gandhi said that it has been his light and hope. He said that: “…when doubts haunt me, when disappointments stare me and when I see no one ray of light on the horizon, I turn to the Bhagawad Gita and find a verse to comfort me and immediately begin to smile in the midst of overwhelming sorrow.”

Ethical Conduct

Gandhi believed that as human beings, men can never reach the perfection of divine virtues. Still, they should strive with all their strength to follow the virtues of truth, love, nonviolence, tolerance, fearlessness, charity and service to mankind. Men have to uphold the right, regardless of the personal consequences they may face. He urged Satyagrahis to adopt to these Virtues.

Service to Society

Service to the Society was another way in which Gandhi’s concept underpins his practical actions. He believed that “only way to see God is to see him through his creations and identify oneself with it”. This is possible through service to humanity. He maintained that there is no escape from social service to those in search of God.

He believed that as a part of God’s creation, all men share the same life and there is no real difference between them. This principle of unity of life explains is concepts of secularism, religious toleration, human equality. It also underpins his long battle against untouchability and social backwardness.

Cleanliness

Gandhi emphasised on internal (mental) and external (physical) cleanliness. There was no litter or dirt or filth in his Ashrams and surroundings. He said: “Cleanliness is next to Godliness“. He advocated moral self-purification.

Satyagraha

Gandhi’s later work rested largely on a spiritual principle of satyagraha that he developed while working in South Africa. For Gandhi, Satyagrahi was the foot soldier of Passive Resistance Movement. One has to adopt the virtues of truth and violence to be a Satyagrahi. He/ She should be honest and eschew material possessions and sexual desires. Gandhi prescribed a severe code for the, Satyagrahi which includes harsh moral discipline, control of Senses and ascetic self- denial.

Doctrine of Trusteeship

Gandhi regarded Rich as trustees of wealth. He said that ultimately all property belongs to God, the excess or superfluous wealth which the rich possess belongs to society and should be used for supporting the poor. Wealthy people have no moral right to what is more than their proportionate share in national wealth. They simply become trustees for the disproportionate share of God’s property they hold. They have to use it for helping the poor.

Truth (Satya):

Mahatma Gandhi is an apostle of ahimsa. The basic principle of life is based on Truth. Gandhi gives a succinct account of his philosophy. He says; “I often describe my religion as religion of truth. Of late, instead of saying God is Truth, I have been saying Truth is God, in order more fully to define my religion. We are sparks of Truth. The sum total of sparks is indescribable as-yet- unknown Truth, which is God.”

The bearing of this religion on social life is or has to be seen in one’s daily social contact. To be true to such religion one has to lose oneself in continuous and continuing service of our life. Realization of Truth is impossible without a complete merging of oneself in an identification with this limitless ocean of life.

Hence, for me, there is no escape from social service; there is no happiness on earth beyond or apart from it. Social service must be taken to include every department of life. In this scheme there is nothing low, nothing high. For all is one though we seem to be many.

Gandhi says, ‘God is life, He is the Supreme Good. God is truth and love’, God is fearlessness. God is the source of Light and Life, and yet He is above and beyond all these. He is the most exciting personage in the world.

Truth and Harmlessness constitute the essence of God. “God is that indefinable something which we all feel but which we do not know.” “There is an indefinable mysterious power that pervades everything. I feel it, though I do not see it. It is this unseen power that makes itself felt and yet defies proof, because it is so unlike all that I perceive through my senses.

It transcends reason but it is possible to reason out the existence of God to a limited extent.” “I do not regard God as a person. Truth for me is God and God’s Law and God are not different things. God is Law Himself. Therefore, it is impossible to conceive God as breaking the Law. He and His Law abide everywhere and govern everything.”

Gandhi declares, “I do perceive that, whilst everything around me is ever-changing and ever- dying, there is underlying all that change, a living power that is changeless, that holds all together, that creates, dissolves and re-creates.

That informing Power or Spirit is God.” God is Truth- Knowledge-Bliss (sat-chit-anands). “The word ‘Satya’ (Truth) is derived from ‘Sat’ which means being. And nothing is or exists in reality except Truth. And where there is truth, there also is knowledge, pure knowledge. And where there is true knowledge, there is always bliss.”

Gandhi looks upon God as an impersonal, omnipresent power or Spirit that pervades the universe, and that is imminent in the human soul. He is Truth, Love and Bliss. He can neither be perceived nor grasped by the intellect, but He can be felt. He can be imperfectly grasped by the

God is Truth and Love. He can be known only through love or non-violence. Means and ends are inseparable. They are convertible terms. God is the end. Therefore He can be known through truth and love or non-violence. “Truth is God. When you want to find Truth as God the only inevitable means Love, i.e., non-violence, and ultimately means and ends are convertible terms.”

Ahimsa:

It is not merely a negative virtue of non-killing and non-injury, but a positive virtue of doing good to others. Ahimsa is supreme kindness and supreme self-sacrifice. It is non violence in thought, word and deed. It is not only abstinence from killing and doing harm. It is also abstinence from causing pain through word or thought and resentment. It is non•violence in every form—in thought, word and deed. But non-violence or non-injury in thought, word and deed constitutes the negative aspect of ahimsa. It has positive aspect, which is more important than the negative aspect. It is not only complete absence of ill-will towards mankind and sentient creation but involves over-flowing love and affection for them.

Ahimsa means non-injury and love. God is Truth and Love. And we realize Truth by loving the whole animal world including mankind. “Ahimsa is the basis of the search of truth. The search is in vain unless it is founded on ahimsa as the basis. The only means for the realisation of Truth is ahimsa. A perfect vision of Truth can only follow a realization of ahimsa.”

Ahimsa requires truthfulness and fearlessness. Gandhi says, “There is only one whom we have to fear, that is God. When we fear God, we shall fear no man; and if you want to follow the vow of Truth, then fearlessness is absolutely necessary.” This doctrine of fearless pursuit of truth is called Satyagraha (firmness in truth). Life should be ruled by the law of Truth regardless of consequences.

Gandhi says, “Ahimsa is the means; Truth is the end. Ahimsa is our supreme duty.” “Ahimsa and Truth are so intertwined that it is practically impossible to disentangle and separate them.” “Non-violence and Truth are inseparable and Presuppose each other.”

Gandhi says, “Non-violence implies as complete self-purification as is humanly possible.” It implies “a living faith in the existence of the soul as apart from the body.” Non-violence is soul force. It is power of Atman. It is power of Love. “It is uttermost selflessness. Selflessness means complete freedom from a regard for one’s body.”

“Ahimsa does not simply mean non-killing.” “Anger is the enemy of Ahimsa; and pride is a monster that swallows it up.” Ahimsa implies conquest of anger and pride. “A Satyagrahi will always try to overcome evil by good, anger by love, untruth by truth, and by ahimsa.” Ahimsa implies absence of hatred. Hate ought to be conquered by love. “Hate is the subtlest form of violence.

We can win over the opponent only by love, never by hate.” “In its positive form, ahimsa means the largest love, greatest charity. If I am a follower of ahimsa. I must love my enemy. Active ahimsa necessarily includes truth and fearlessness. The practice of ahimsa calls forth the greatest courage. Non­violence is the weapon of the strongest and bravest.”

Ahimsa is the opposite of cowardice. It is not flight from the attack of the evil-doer. It is better to be violent than to be a coward. “My creed of non­violence is an extremely active force. It has no room for cowardice or even weakness.” A violent man can become non-violent. But a coward’ can never become non-violent.

He says, ‘Non-violence and cowardice go ill together. True non-violence is an impossibility without the possession of unadulterated fearlessness.” “Ahimsa requires true humility for it is reliance not on self, but on God alone.” Non-violence implies restrained upon one’s desire for vengeance. Vengeance is weakness. It springs from fear of harm. Vengeance is better than helpless submission. But forgiveness is higher than vengeance.

He says, “Ahimsa is the extreme limit of forgiveness. But forgiveness is a quality of the brave. Ahimsa is impossible without fearlessness.” “Soul-force requires the control of all bodily and self-regarding desires.

Thus non-violence implies truthfulness, selflessness, harmlessness, freedom from anger, pride, and hatred, love for all men and creatures, fearlessness, and courage, humility, forgiveness, and absolute self-surrender to God.” “One who believes in non-violence believes in a living God.” Gandhi was influenced by Christ who says, “Love your enemies, do good to them which hate you. Bless them that curse you and pray for them, which despitefully use you.”

Gandhi believes that, “Hate the sin and not the sinner.” “For we are all tarred with the same brush, and are children of one and the same Creator, and as such the divine powers within us are infinite. To slight a single human being is to slight those divine powers, and thus to harm not only that being but with him the whole world.”

So we should not try to crush the wrong-doer but try to resist evil by dissociating ourselves from it in all possible ways. Evil cannot stand by itself. Non-co-operate with evil, and it will die of inanition. “It is quite proper to resist and, attack a system but to resist and attack its author is tantamount to resisting and attacking oneself.” And we can effectively attack an evil system by non-co-operation with it in a non-violent manner. His moral weapon of non-violent non- co•operation is a most potent weapon to fight an evil system with. It took the forms of passive resistance and civil disobedience in the field of politics to fight the evil of foreign domination in India.

Non-violence is not flight from wickedness. It is not passive submission to the will of the evil- doer. It is “mental and moral opposition to immoralities.” It is deliberate restraint upon desire of vengeance. Retaliation increases wickedness. Non-violence is an active moral fight against wickedness. It is not physical resistance to evil. It is moral resistance to it. It is not only a moral weapon of an individual.

It is a moral weapon of the masses; organised and well-disciplined mass non-violence is an infallible moral weapon against all kinds of evil, social, economic, religious, national or international. Non violent non-co-operation is a revolution. Gandhi says, “It is not an armed revolt. It is an evolutionary revolution; it is a bloodless revolution. The movement is a revolution of thought, of spirit. Non- co-operation is a process of purification and, as such, it constitutes a revolution in one’s ideas.”

Mahatma Gandhi wants to evolve a new social order on the basis of love and self-sacrifice. He wants to give every opportunity to an individual to rise to the height of his personality. But he does not want to apply force to divest the privileged classes of their wealth, like Marx. He does not believe in class war.

He is not a socialist or a communist. He believes in change of heart and voluntary surrender of superfluous possessions for the benefit of the poor. There is no place of brute force and violence in his scheme of the new social order. Love and non-violence are the foundation of the social structure he wants to evolve. It is a slow but sure process. It avoids bloodshed, chaos and confusion. Love is unifying. Hatred is disintegrating. Love gives unity and harmony, a reign of peach and joy.

According to Gandhi a Satyagrahi must take the vow of non-possession and voluntary poverty. Gandhi says, “A seeker after truth, a follower of the law of love, cannot hold anything against tomorrow. God never stores for the morrow. If we repose faith in His Providence, we should rest assured that He will give us every day our daily bread.”

“Love and exclusive possession cannot go together. When there is perfect love there must be perfect non-possession.” Jesus Christ says. “Take no thought for your life, what you shall eat; neither for the body, what you shall put on. Consider the ravens for they neither sow nor reap; which neither have storehouse nor brain; and God feed them: how much more are ye better than fowls? And seek not yet what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink. Your father know that you have need of these things.”

A Satyagrahi must observe the five vows of truthfulness, non-violence, non-thieving, non- possession, and sex-control. Gandhi says. “Realization of God is impossible without complete renunciation of the sexual desire.” Sex-urge is a fine and noble thing. It is meant for the act of creation.

Any other use of it is sin against God and humanity.” “Brahmacharya must be observed in thought, word, and deed.” It means not only control over sex, but control over all the senses. Gandhi advocates rigid ethical discipline, severe sense- control, almost an ascetic morality. A Satyagrahi should cultivate humility, silence, renunciation, self- sacrifice, sense-restraint, non- violence in thought, word and deed, love, goodwill, and compassion for all, and abstemiousness for drinks and drugs.

He should earn his bread, labour and reduce his wants to a minimum, respect every man and woman, and respect all religions. He should perform his duties conscientiously without insisting on his rights, and be ready to sacrifice himself for the service of humanity.

The application of Ahimsa to political, social and economic problems—Non-violence is a rule of conduct not only in individual life, but also in political, social and economic life. This is the greatest contribution of M.K. Gandhi to the world’s culture and civilisation.

Violence breeds violence. It brings about chaos. It poisons the source of social life. Non-violence purifies an evil system of its evils. It changes a human system from within by working a change in its soul, as it were. It can be applied to the social and economic spheres also.

Gandhi does not believe in war, because it is mass slaughter of men and because it is against the law of human nature—against the rule of Truth and Non-violence. In the new social order war will be eliminated. He says, “Exploitation is the essence of violence.” The principle of non- violence necessitates complete abstention from exploitation in any form.

Economic equality is the master key to non-violent independence. The rich cannot accumulate vast wealth without exploiting the poor. Exploitation involves violence. Equal distribution can be brought about through non-violence. Every person should reduce his wants to a minimum, exercise self-restraint in every sphere of life, and live a simple life.

The wealthy should not be dispossessed of their possessions, because that would imply resort to violence. They should act as trustees of their superfluous wealth and use it for the good of society. Gandhi believes in the “trusteeship of the wealthy”.

Sri Aurobindo also says, “All wealth belongs to God, and those who hold it are trustees, not possessors.” Gandhi says, “Everything belongs to God. Therefore it is for his people as a whole, not for a particular individual.” Gandhi advocates non-violent socialism. He does not believe in class war, which makes use of violence and brute force. The rich should either be converted into ‘trustees’ or be completely isolated.

Gandhi is dead against dictatorship. He is a staunch advocate of democracy. In a democracy established by non-violence, there will be equal freedom for all. He says, “True democracy can only be an outcome of non-violence.” “The structure of a world federation can be raised only on a foundation of non-violence, and violence will have to be totally given up in world affairs.” “Isolated independence is not the goal of the World States. It is voluntary interdependence!”

Gandhi as an idealist, advocates greatest good of all. He says, “A votary of Ahimsa cannot subscribe to the utilitarian formula of the greatest good of the greatest number. He will strive for the greatest good of all. The greatest good of all inevitably includes the good of the greatest number.”

Ends and Means:

God-realization is the Supreme End according to Gandhi. He says, “I believe in absolute oneness of God and therefore of humanity. Though we have many bodies we have but one soul. The rays of the sun are many through refraction. But they have the same source.” “I believe in Advaita. I believe in the essential unity of a man and for that matter of all lives.” There is unity of life in all lives. There is unity of Spirit in all mankind.

Man’s ultimate aim is the realization of God, and all his activities, social, political, religious have to be guided by the ultimate aim of the vision of God. Gandhi says, “The immediate service of all human beings becomes a necessary part of the endeavour, simply because the only way to find God is to see Him in His creation and be one with it. This can be done by the service of all. I am a part and parcel of the whole, and I cannot find Him apart from humanity.” “My creed is service of God and therefore of humanity.”

God-realization is the Highest Good. It can be attained through the realization of oneness of life or Spirit of all mankind and sentient creation. God can be realized through service of all mankind. Love and Ahimsa are the only means of God-realization. Purity is essential for realization of God. Gandhi says, “To see the universal and all pervading Spirit of Truth face to face one must be able to love the meanest of creation as oneself.

Identification with everything that lives is impossible without self- purification. God can never be realized by one who is not pure in heart.” Perfect self-control depends upon God’s grace. Absolute self-surrender to God is necessary for complete self-control including sex-restraint. Jesus Christ says, “Whosoever will save his life shall lose it; and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it.” “Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.”

Criticism of Gandhi’s Ethics of Ahimsa:

• Gandhi is not an academic philosopher. So he has not evolved a system of ethics on the firm foundation of philosophical There are elements of intuitionism, rationalism or asceticism, and eudaemonism in his ethical doctrine, which are not reduced to a coherent unity. But still his voice is that of a prophet in this age of darkness.
• He is a great moral reformer and political leader. He is a major contributor to the achievement of India’s freedom from the British rule. He is fittingly called Father of the Indian He is a great humanist. Gandhi holds that man has the freedom of the will. He can choose between right and wrong. God has given a man freedom. Conscience is the voice of God in man. It intuitively apprehends Tightness or wrongness of particular actions. In complex situations God reveals the Truth to us through the intuition of conscience. This is the element of Intuitionism.
• Gandhi offers almost an ascetic doctrine of Suppression of instincts and desires and living the life of pure reason constitute the moral life. Our wants should be reduced; our desires should be suppressed: pleasure should be shunned; perfect equanimity and stoical indifference to pleasure and pain should be cultivated.
• The life of fearless and uncompromising pursuit of Truth, regardless of consequences, is the highest ideal. Sex instinct should not be gratified except for procreation; it is an evil, and as such, should be eradicated. Violence or injury to others should be eschewed All these show that Gandhi’s ethical doctrine contains elements of asceticism, ringoursim rationalism or moral purism, and suffer from its defects.
• Gandhi believes in the existence of God is the Supreme Good, Truth and Love. He is the moral governor. Finite spirits are sparks of infinite Truth or God. They can realize Truth of perfection by social service—by identifying themselves with the whole creation—mankind and sentient creation and realizing the oneness of life.
• Ahimsa or non•violence in thought, word and deed, is the means to the realization of Ahimsa is love and good will and active service. The world is rational constituted. It is the sphere of moral life, and not dead to moral values. This is the element of the eudaemonism in Gandhi’s ethical doctrine.
• Truth and Ahimsa are the keystones of Gandhi’s Truth is God. Ahimsa is love. God is Love. Realization of Truth means realization of God. It is possible only through Ahimsa, non-violence or love. God can be realized through love and service of humanity. He makes too much of truth. He says, “God is Truth.” But it is more correct to say, according to him, that “Truth is God”. He does not clearly explain the meaning of the Infinite. Truth is the supreme good. His ethical doctrine is vague as to the nature and content of the Supreme Good.
• Gandhi makes too much to Human nature is complex. It is a mixture of sensibility and reason. It will always continue to be so. Sensibility is not, in itself, irrational. It should not be suppressed. It should be regulated by reason.
• Even the sex instinct, which is dominant and irrepressible, is not necessarily irrational. Within its proper sphere, duly regulated and controlled by reason, it generates love and affection which bind man and woman closely together and develop their personality. Moral purism, rigourism, rationalism or asceticism is a one-sided
• Gandhi makes too much of non-violence. He holds that non-injury in thought, word and deed ought, under all circumstances, to be cultivated. But human nature is a mixture of good and Non•violence, under all circumstances, is neither practicable nor justifiable.
• An individual or a nation ought to attack, injure, and thwart another individual or a nation in self-defence violence under certain circumstances, is morally justified. Extreme non- violence in the face of aggression is neither practicable nor justifiable. Fasting for self- purification is justified. But it is also a method of moral coercion to realize an ulterior It is never a method of moral persuasion.
• Gandhi’s doctrine of ‘trusteeship of wealth’ is The wealthy will have to be divested in order to feed the poor and the needy. Every citizen in a State will have to be given the economic minimum. Every welfare State must dispossess the wealthy and give the poor the right to employment and right to food, clothing, health, house, and education. The poor must not live on the doles of the rich.
• Gandhi wants to build a new social order on non•violence and The trend of human progress is inevitably and unmistakably towards a federation of free nations based on non-violence and mutual understanding. Humanity cannot be enslaved by imperialistic capitalism or imperialistic communism with atom bombs, hydrogen bombs, and other destructive nuclear weapons which threaten humanity with extinction.