Politicalism And Political Ideas In Gandhi's Political Philosophy

CHAPTER 2

POLITICAL IDEALS IN GANDHI’S PRATICAL PHILOSOPHY

INTRODUCTION

2. Gandhian approch to the Political Ideals

The term political theory and political philosophy are used interchangeably, there has been a recognisable and significant difference between these two as far as the theoretical and work of the political scientists and political philosophers are concerned. Of course, there is a discernable distinction between what is social and political. These two terms political theory and political philosophy in the wider sense are inclusive of the social studies embracing everything of the activities of man in relation to the society.

Similarly Gandhi also did not make any distinction

According to him exploitation is the greatest form of violence. In exploitation we can’t find any form of love. Selfishness is the motive force in the exploitation.

Satya and ahimsa are the intertwined principles in Gandhian thought. Satya is the end and ahimsa is the means. They are the two main branches of the big banyan tree of Satyagraha. They are not two principles to be understood only but are values to be practiced and experienced in one’s life.

According to Gandhi, non-violence is the law of human race infinitely greater than superior to the brute force which can be widely equally by all. He held that non-violence as a moral virtue is law of being. Gandhi noticed that man has stedly progressed towards non-violence. He referred to the history of the mankind and stated that the remote ancestors were cannibal who where violent, but in the next stage he became hunter and became agriculturist in the later stage discontinuing hunting in which violence was involved and adapted himself to the civilised conduct of life. Ahimsa is not merely a negative state of harmless but it is a positive state of love, doing good even to the evil doers. But it does not mean helping the evildoer to continue the wrong or tolerating it by passive acquaintance. On the contrary, love, the active state of ahimsa, requires you to resist the wrong-doers by disassociating yourself from him or injure him

He is held in high esteem and venerated as the great soul. His popular sayings that ‘my life is my message’ and ‘my life is a series of experiment with truth’ have literally come to be true. Gandhi was not a system builder, but with great understanding and insight, he could bring about the scheme of his concept in appropriate and relevant manners so as to suit the modern requirements. His concepts underwent evolutionary and revolutionary changes. Gandhi formulated a pattern and a structure basing on his series of Experiments on Truth, in the religious-moral, socio- economic and political spheres by keeping the individuality and the dignity of the individual. Gandhian concept of Satyagraha is a method of non-violent resolution, for corruption and unjust laws of society and state. He states that the lasting and ending world peace could be established only through