With an intense focus on both the depth and practicality of Mahatma Gandhi’s political and religious thought this book reveals the valuable insights Gandhi offers to anyone concerned about the prospects of liberalism in the contemporary world. Gandhi’s Religious Thought and Liberal Democracy makes the case that for Gandhi, in stark contrast to commonly accepted liberal orthodoxy, religion is indispensable to the public life, and indeed the official activity, of any genuinely liberal society. Gandhi scholars, political theorists, and activist members of a lay audience alike will all find much to digest, comment upon, and be motivated by in this work.

One of the main themes running through Gandhi’s life and work was the battle against evil. This book offers a fascinating reconstruction of Gandhi and the doctrine of Ahimsa or non-violence. Gandhi’s moral perfectionism is contrasted with other forms of perfectionism, but the book stresses that Gandhi also offered a doctrine of the second best. Following Gandhi, the author argues that outward violence with compassion is intrinsically not as good as non-violence with compassion, but it is a second best that is sometimes a necessary evil in an imperfect world. The book provides an illuminating analysis of coercion, non-co-operation, civil disobedience and necessary evil, comparing Gandhi’s ideas with that of some of the leading western moral, legal and political philosophers. Further, some of his important ideas are shown to have relevance for the working of the Indian Constitution. This book will be essential for scholars and researchers in moral, legal and political philosophy, Gandhi studies, political science and South Asian studies.

This volume shows how Gandhi's thought and action-oriented approach are significant, relevant, and urgently needed for addressing major contemporary problems and concerns, including issues of violence and nonviolence, war and peace, religious conflict and dialogue, terrorism, ethics, civil disobedience, injustice, modernism and postmodernism, oppression and exploitation, and environmental destruction. Appropriate for general readers and Gandhi specialists, this volume will be of interest for those in philosophy, religion, political science, history, cultural studies, peace studies, and many other fields.

This Book Presents An Insightful Discussion Of Some Of The More Important Aspects Of Gandhi`S Ideas On Topics Such As Public Ethics, Religious Reform, Morality, Civil Disobedience, Non-Violence, Non-Cooperation And Coescion.

To underscore the moral crisis that plagues liberal democracy, the author seeks answers by drawing from both Western and Asian thought in this outstanding analysis in political ethics. Starting with Gamwell's theory, which is grounded on God and offers a common goal for political community and establishes a firm ground for morality and political ethics the author advances and reformulates Gamwell's theory, using the insights and resources provided by Gandhi bringing a global dimension to this original critique.

The book attempts to bring out, through a selection of the seminal writings of M.K. Gandhi, M.N. Roy and Jayaprakash Narayan as well as of critical commentaries on them, the essentials of their intellectual development and their contribution to contemporary Indian political thought. These writings constitute a significant part of the historical debates and contestations of ideas among the thinkers of the nationalist and the internationalist movements of the first half of the twentieth century. Contents: - Vol - Contents: Preface, R.M. Pal, Acknowledgements, Contributors, . Introduction, Meera Verma, M.K. Gandhi, . Hind Swaraj (0), M.K. Gandhi, . Traditional Influences on Gandhi, A.L. Basham, . Gandhi s Writings in Harijan, Bidyut Chakrabarty, . Critique of Modern Civilization, Bhiku Parekh, . Gandhi s Idea of Nation in Hind Swaraj, Anthony J. Parel, . Sources and Implications of Sarvodaya in, Gandhi s Philosophy, Anil Dutta Mishra, . Gandhi and the Politics of Decentralization, Jayaprakash Narayan, . Beyond Liberal Democracy: Thinking with, Mahatma Gandhi, Thomas Pantham, Contents, 0. Problematizing Modernity: Gandhi s, Decentering Impulse, Ronald J. Terchek, . Bringing Gandhi Back to Independent India, T.K. Oommen, . The Spinning Wheel and the Seed: Gandhi s, Legacy, Humanity s Hope, Vandana Shiva, . Morality in Political Practice - Marx and, Gandhi, M.N. Roy, . Mr. Gandhi - An Analysis, Santi Devi (Evelyn Roy), . M.N. Roy and the Mahatma, Sibnarayan Ray vol - Acknowledgement, Contributors, . Introductory Note, M.N. Roy, . Original Draft of Suplementary Theses on, the National and Colonial Question (0), M.N. Roy, . New Humanism: A Manifesto, M.N. Roy:, (a) Liberal Genealogy of Marxism, (b) Marxian Theory of Revolution, (c) A New Political Philosophy, (d) Radical Democracy, (e) Theses, . Draft Constitution of India, M.N. Roy, . Gandhi and Roy: The Interaction of, Ideologies in India, Dennis Dalton, . The Perspective on History, M. Shiviah, . In The Communist O

When Mahatma Gandhi died in 1948 by an assassin's bullet, the most potent legacy he left to the world was the technique of satyagraha (literally, holding on to the Truth). His "experiments with Truth" were far from complete at the time of his death, but he had developed a new technique for effecting social and political change through the constructive conduct of conflict: Gandhian satyagraha had become eminently more than "passive resistance" or "civil disobedience." By relating what Gandhi said to what he did and by examining instances of satyagraha led by others, this book abstracts from the Indian experiments those essential elements that constitute the Gandhian technique. It explores, in terms familiar to the Western reader, its distinguishing characteristics and its far-reaching implications for social and political philosophy.