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Gandhi’s Philosophy
and the Quest for Harmony
Anthony Parel puts forth the premise that the theory of purusharthas is the key to a deeper understanding of Gandhi’s philosophy. According to him, it provides the intellectual framework within which are set the ideas of ahimsa, swaraj, satyagraha, swadeshi, religion and sarvodaya. In Hinduism, the purusharthas are the canonical four ends or aims of human life. These goals are kama (sensual pleasure or love), artha (wealth), dharma (righteousness or morality) and moksha (liberation from the cycle of reincarnation). The notion of the four purusharthas represents a holistic approach to the satisfaction of man’s physical, emotional and spiritual needs. Establishing a positive relationship between the spiritual and the political, between the pursuit of moksha and that of artha, has been one of Gandhi’s major contributions to political philosophy. He was helped in this by the four purusharthas, which, in his view, were best understood as interacting with one another rather than counteracting each other. Interpreters in the past had little difficulty in defending the need for the ethical (dharma) to interact positively with the spiritual (moksha). However, they were not willing to concede a similar role to the political (artha).Going beyond them, Gandhi sought to establish a positive relationship not only between the ethical and spiritual, but also between the political and the spiritual. He redefined purusharth as a spiritual ability that humans have to grasp what the worthwhile goals of life are, and, once grasped, to pursue them with determination and skill. Parel persuasively argues that Gandhi, in a quest to harmonise Indian values, privileged politics or artha as the means to attain moksha. Gandhi reconceptualised political power in a number of ways, depending on the context. As applied to the state, political power is a means of establishing and maintaining a just and peaceful political community. As applied to citizens, it is a means of engaging in the highest form of public service. As applied to the oppressed, it is a means of resisting by non-violent means the abuses of political power. As applied to the international community, it is a means of securing peace by independent and interdependent states. The new version of moksha no longer required the old type of renunciation and withdrawal from the active life. What it requires is the renunciation of egoism (ahamkara) in all its forms as greed, fraud, lust, anger, domination, hatred, etc. A reflective mode of life, reinforced by the habit of prayer and meditation, is part of the new praxis of moksha. Gandhi believed that to be a modern Indian is to have multiple identities that a citizen integrates into a coherent unity. To be modern, Indians also have to overcome their gender disparity, caste-consciousness and religious antagonism. He called for a redefinition of India too. The modern science of artha requires that India be a pluralistic, democratic, secular polity. Gandhi believed that only civic nationalism could meet the needs of both regional diversity and cultural unity. Although there are elements of unity in Gandhi’s thought, they are not reduced to a system. It is not a rigid, inflexible doctrine, but a set of beliefs and principles which are applied differently according to the historical and social setting. In his thought the emphasis is on idealism, but on practical idealism. It is rooted in religious idealism, but is thoroughly practical. The Gandhian philosophy is compatible with the view that humankind is undergoing gradual moral evolution. While conflict is seen as inevitable, in fact, not always undesirable, violence as a result of conflict is not regarded as inevitable. Gandhi admitted that there also existed conflict between values. In his philosophy, conflicts have a common reference point in truth. The purusha is open to truth, and each purushartha contains within itself a capacity for ultimate harmony with truth. Life is a quest for truth, which in turn is a quest for harmony. The Gandhian paradigm teaches all who care to learn how to seek wealth and power without sacrificing ethics, beauty and transcendence. In an age where technology can significantly multiply the destructive power of an individual, a philosophy of progress, harmony and tolerance is certainly relevant. Parel’s book affords a novel perspective on the philosophy of the Mahatma who emerges as a modern and pragmatic politician with a balanced view of life. It would definitely interest students and scholars in religious studies, philosophy, politics and history. In fact, it is imperative for all those who are seriously interested in understanding the intrinsic power and energy of Gandhian philosophy.
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UNDERSTANDING
the universe to be an organic whole, Mahatma Gandhi’s philosophy
exists on several planes—the spiritual or religious, moral, political,
economic, social, individual and collective. The spiritual or religious
element, and God, is at its core. Human nature is regarded as
fundamentally virtuous. All individuals are believed to be capable of
high moral development and of reform. It is rooted in ancient Indian
culture and harnesses eternal and universal principles.