Satyagraha as the Philosophy of Nonviolent Resistance: Sermon on the Mount as the Ethico-Spiritual Source Pius V Thomas1 (original) (raw)
Making Sense of Gandhi's Satyagraha
APA Studies on Asian and Asian American Philosophers and Philosophies, Vol. 22, No. 1 , 2022
The 153rd Anniversary of the birth of Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi is as much a cause for celebration as for reflection on the future of this globe we inhabit. The global spurt in the incidence of violence, intolerance, and hatred in the twenty-first century has given rise to vast cultural and moral chaos. This phenomenon has its roots in the sad demise of humanitarianism and the concomitant history of moral decomposition the world over. At this crucial juncture, Gandhi’s worldview invariably activates the moral impulse towards building a nonviolent social order. Gandhi’s worldview in its pristine form represents an idea of an accommodative truth built not merely on mutual tolerance but on acceptance of the other as an equal and dignified soul. Gandhi’s life journey evolved through experiments for building a humane society based upon the troika of truth, nonviolence, and satyagraha. This paper aims to deliberate upon Gandhi’s worldview grounded in his moral philosophy of satyagraha and show how it can work as an effective countervailing tool and method to understand the growing culture and discourse of violence today.
Nonviolence and Religion.-reprint
Nonviolence and Religion, 2023
this is the printed edition of the Special Issue "Nonviolence and Religion," published in the open access journal "Religions." Editors: Wolfgang Palaver, Ed Noort, Louise du Toit and Ephraim Meir. ISSN 2077-1444 available at: https://www.mdpi.com/journal/religions/special issues/NaR.
2003
Unlike the situation existing for studies of aggression and violence, the literature on the psychology of nonviolence is sparse. Psychological perspectives on nonviolence can however be derived from the metapsychological and psychospiritual writings of major recognized practitioners of nonviolence. This paper will therefore draw on the thought and work of Mahatma Gandhi as well as three North Americans who were or are still involved in militant nonviolence and who recognize Gandhi as a mentor: Martin Luther King, Jr., Cesar Chavez, and Jim Douglass.
Environmental Thoughts of Gandhi for a Green Future
The environmental concern as we understand today was not there at the time of Gandhi, but his ideas on development, technology, self sufficiency, village Swaraj etc. disclose his environmental concern. Different streams of environmental philosophy have paid their indebtedness to Gandhi. The present paper is an attempt to understand the theoretical aspects behind Gandhian environmentalism. The Philosophical elements of Gandhi such as truth and non violence, the idea of science and technology, economic concepts, conflict resolution techniques etc. are discussed to analyze their implications for environment. The paper distinguishes Gandhian economics from conventional economics to underscore its links with sustainability questions. The paper argues that the final outcome of Gandhian economics is a green future.
THE SCIENCE OF GANDHIAN SATYAGRAHA
Mahatma Gandhi was one of history’s great teachers, not only by what he preached but by his example of life. At the very outset Gandhi was not a systematic philosopher or a theologian but a practical man with practical sense. Therefore, the philosophy of Satyagraha, as evolved, developed and applied by Gandhi is not a lighthouse which exists somewhere far, but rather it is a lamp at hand that sheds light on our every step. The success of Gandhian Satyagraha should not be counted by the achievements of Gandhi alone. But the very fact that is more relevant today and the days to come matters the success. The fundamental basis for Satyagraha is Truth and Non-violence.1 Since it springs from these two eternal principles, Satyagraha also holds the eternal relevance. Gandhi himself has noted that Satyagraha is something “still in the making”.2 We witness this face even today through various movements that stand for the dignity of man, love over hatred, truth over untruth and non-violence over violence.
Gandhi and the World of the Hebrew Bible: The Case of Daniel as Satyagrahi
Religions
Among the biblical characters used as examples in developing and explaining satyagraha, Daniel is the most important after Jesus. In Gandhi’s speeches and writings from 1909 to 1946, Daniel served as the ideal satyagrahi both in South Africa and in India. Over time, Daniel received company in the gallery of examples in which Socrates occupied a prominent place. Depending on theme, place, and audience, past and present characters from different traditions and scriptures accompanied Daniel. They represented the development of aspects of satyagraha: nonviolent active resistance as a weapon of the strong, courageous actions as a deliberate choice without excitement, love for the antagonist, preparedness to suffer, and no fear of death. All these aspects are embodied by the Gandhian Daniel. Gandhi emphasized the active role of Daniel as a resister, not the traditional view of the victim of court intrigues. In this paper, I argue that the image of the ideal satyagrahi Daniel could be stre...