Unlike majority of classical and contemporary Indian philosophers, Gandhi is a practical philosopher, an experimentalist and a laboratiorian who developed practical instruments and carried out experiments for the existing life problems without bothering to build a consistent structure of philosophy. For this very reason there seems an ambiguity to call Gandhi as a philosopher. However, it seems to me that Gandhi is a practical philosopher who laid a pragmatic approach and method to his new insights for social and political action of national movement on religious and ethical footing and the reconstruction of modern India without disturbing the social equilibrium. Gandhi exercises such tremendous skill in cooperative participation of our national movement and is pridely regarded as the “Father of nation”. As he is too skillfully organized in his ideals in building a nation, he rightly ascertained as a philosopher in the light of Homer’s (the Greek poet) definition of the word ‘Philosopher’.

Gandhi’s predominant ethical principle: Finding Truth

Gandhi is traditionally inherits a great faith in religion. Many of his proposed and practiced solutions for human good and conservation are based the religious notions. “Although his scientific attitude did not alter his faith in religion, it aroused in him a challenge to interpret his faith scientifically”.² Usually we cognize, the scientific attitudes denies religion. But on the contrary, Gandhi being a staunch religionist made religion complementary to science by experimentation with religious notions. He responds scientifically for the foundational notion of religion ‘the God’. Who is God? What is God? Where is God? are some of the philosophical questions concerning God and his nature. For all these questions his assertion is that ‘God is Truth’. Like Socrates, he gave his discourse on Truth, went beyond Socrates experimenting with Truth, and scientifically searches for Truth and also assumes that ‘Truth is God’. Perhaps, his derivation might be: A truthful action is a Godly action and therefore Truth is God. To the question what is God? He has taken the traditional position that ‘God is reality’. What is reality? Reality is Satchidananda. What is Satchidananda? It is Existence, consciousness (knowledge) and Bliss. Here, Truth is characterized with all these qualities. Where there is Truth, there will be knowledge and happiness. This is the ultimate end of religion. It can be deduced that according to Gandhi Truth, knowledge and happiness go hand in hand.

Gandhi argues, “where there is truth, there is also knowledge which is true. Where there is no truth, there can be no knowledge”.³ Gandhi did not bother to structure a rational criteria for truth but is interested to find out what truth is known as and the consequences in action. However, when it is stated that Truth is God, Gandhi universalizes the notion of God as Truth. Any universal proposition with an objective meaning is considered to be rational in its own structure. Describing the nature of God, Gandhi says: “I would say with those who say God is love. But God is Love deep down in me I used to say that though God may be Love, God is Truth, above all. If it is possible for the human tongue to give the fullest description of God, I have come to the conclusion that, for myself, God is Truth”.⁴

What spirit made Gandhi, (a physically weak and meek man) to take up such a great social and political action? The answer might be from his strong ideology that. “We can all become messengers of God, if we cease to fear man and seek only God’s Truth. I do believe I am seeking only God’s Truth and have lost all fear of man”.⁵ This fearlessness, which is God’s Truth, is the only guiding principle through out his struggle for independence and also in his life’s endeavors.

How to cease fear of men?

Let us fear God and we shall cease to fear man”.⁸ He believed that fearlessness is the first requisite of religion and Spirituality. ‘Fearlessness does not mean arrogance or aggressiveness. That in itself is a sign of fear. Fearlessness presupposes calmness and peace of mind. For that it is necessary to have a living faith in God’.⁹ This religious notion is also a practical example in Gandhiji’s life, work and attitude. His political activities like Swaraj, Satyagraha, and non-violence were the cool weapons that made the Britishers to quit India. These were absolutely Gandhi’s fearless activities in the freedom struggle of India. His belief in this religious notion actualized in his practical affairs.

Fearlessness as religious act connotes freedom from all external fear; we can say it is the state of Moksha. Saranagathi, the total surrender to God leads to fearlessness through fear of God. “Fear is a thing which I dislike why should one man be afraid of another man? Man should stand in fear of God alone, and then he can shed all other fear”.¹⁰ Gandhi not only practiced these ideas in his own life, but also inspired the masses and made them into fearless and courageous people.

Service is the highest ethics for quality of life:

“……. I worship the God that is Truth or Truth which is God through the service of these millions”.⁶ Service is the ultimate end of religious action. In Hinduism, God has taken many manifestations (Avatars) to make the people to learn this precious human action to reach/worship him. Regarding Christianity too-why God sent his Son Christ to the World? Metaphysically speaking Christ was born to save people from sin. In the mission of ‘saving’, Christ has taken up the method of service. Service is the highest religious/human action to enter into heaven on the judgment day. Hence service is the criterion for Moksha: Gandhi rightly stated: “I am endeavor to see God through service of humanity, for I know that God is neither in Heaven, nor down below, but in everyone.” ⁷ Gandhi has adopted the real path of religion through service to his country men who were his nearest neighbors.

Truth and Non-Violence for human conservation:

Non-Violence is common to all religions. The predominant expression, attention and application of non-violence ‘ahimsa’ is preached by Jainism. Ahimsa is the highest golden rule of Jainism. Gandhi being strongly influenced by Jainism from his childhood qualified and exercised ahimsa as the means to attain the goal ‘Truth’. He believed, “ ……….with out Non-violence it is not possible to seek and find Truth. Non-violence and Truth are so intertwined that it is practically impossible to disentangle and separate them. They are like the two sides of a same coin”.¹⁴

Gandhi fruitfully politicized the religious notion Non-violence to exercise his non-violent movements for Indian Independence. This is absolutely a very new insight and new action of Gandhi, who fearlessly adopted many of his religious ideas and politicized them to practical realms. Here it is apt to recall his words that “You can not divide social, economic, political and purely religious work into watertight compartments. I do not know any religion apart from human activity.” ¹⁵

Gandhian concept of non-violence is not an absolute or static idea but relative concept highlighting with two dimensions. a) non-violence in thought b) non-violence in action. So far as the former is concerned he is not prepared to compromise but he is flexible in the case of the latter.

Violence, for Gandhi, means “a violent intention behind a thought, word, or deed that is, an intention to harm.”¹⁶ He never prepared to sacrifice human life in order to save sub-human life,¹⁷ or to sacrifice all other social values for the sake of non-violence¹⁸.

Gandhi argues that, if non-violence fails to defend the honor of women, it is not at all non-violence. He says that when a woman is assaulted, self protection is her immediate duty. She should resist the evil with all her might to defend her honor. He categorically declared that he is prepared to sacrifice non-violence for the sake of truth. This Gandhian approach for non-violence is differed from absolute pacifist’s notion by accepting some sort of violence in unavoidable situation of human life. This is quite a meaningful approach of Gandhi in establishing an ethical criterion for human actions.

A Spiritual explanation of non-violence: Non-violence sustains the soul

Gandhi has spiritualized the concept of non-violence. The first step in non-violence is to cultivate the virtues like truthfulness, humility, tolerance, and loving-kindness. “Non-violence with a non-violent man is no merit”.¹⁹ ”The main objective of his non-violent revolution is to change and transform the hearts of men. If once the attitude of men is changed, the society, which is nothing but a composition of men, could naturally be changed”²⁰ Non-violence with a violent man is the right way of maintaining non-violence. How it is possible to extend such a measure of tolerance with violent men? The answer of Gandhi is – through living faith in God.¹⁸He believes “A living faith in non-violence is impossible without a living faith in God”. Non-violence is an active force of the highest order. It is the soul force or the power of Godhead within us. The practice of non-violence should be our daily food. As food is necessary to body for its sustenance non-violence sustains the soul. “The body food we can only take in measured quantities and at stated intervals; Non-violence, which is the spiritual food, we have to take in continually”.²¹

“Non-violence is an active force of the highest order. It is the soul force or the power of Godhead within us. Imperfect man cannot grasp the whole of that Essence –he would not be able to bear its full blaze, but even an infinitesimal fraction of it, when it becomes active within us, can work wonders.”²² Gandhi discovers a new approach to non-violence emphasizing strong spiritual roots in individual level for passive abstention from those acts that might involve injury to others into a mode of social action. K.R. Rao rightly analyses that, ‘Non-violence as a mode of social action has therefore two essential functions -- to promote communication and agreement so as to make common decisions, and to translate those decisions into action through cooperative participation and sharing”.²³Gandhi has been successfully operated these functions of non-violence to the promotion of communication and cooperative participation.

Gandhi considers non-violence as the means and peace as the end. Since non-violence originates from love, compassion, goodwill, cooperation, harmony and selflessness, a genuine and enduring peace can be ensured only through non-violent means. He strongly believes that peace for the sake of peace is a meaningless social goal unless it is linked to social equality, economic justice and human rights. He says that a hungry man cannot be fed with doctrine. Therefore, peace for human conservation can only be achieved by changing the social conditions of toiling masses all over the world.

Gandhi never considers peace as the absence of conflict but one must have the ability to resolve it. Since peace begins in our minds and hearts, moral regeneration of individuals on the one hand, and an equitable social order on the other are necessary requirements for achieving human conservation and peace, upon Earth.

References:

1. Gandhi, Young India, May, 7, 1925

2. K. Rama Krishna Rao and Pragmatism, New Delhi, Oxford and IBH Publishers, 1963, p.169.

3. Truth is God, P.20, Cited in R.K.Prabhu and U.R. Rao, 1967

4. R.K. Prabhu and U.R.Rao (Com & Ed.) , The Mind of Mahatma Gandhi, Ahmedabad, Navajeevan Publishers, 1967, p. 51.

5. Ibid- p. 49

6. Gandhi, Harijan, Navajeevan Trust, Ahmedabad, 11-3-1939, p.44

7. Gandhi, Young India, 4-8-1927, p.247-48

8. Speeches and Writings of Mahatma Gandhi , G.A.Nateesan and Co, Madras, 1933, p. 130.

9. Gandhi, Harijan, Navajeevan Trust, Ahmedabad, 3-11-1946, p.388.

10. Ibid, 5-1-1947, p.447

11. Ibid, 28-4-1946, p.111

12. Gandhi, Young India, 23-1-1930, p. 25

13. M.K.Gandhi, An autobiography or the Story of My Experiments with Truth, Navajeevan Publishers, Ahmedabad, Vol. I. 1927, pp.51-52

14. M.K.Gandhi, From Yeravada Mandir, Navajeevan Publishing house, Ahmedabad, 1933, p.12

15. R.K.Prabhu and U.R. Rao, The Mind of Mahatma, Op.cit, p. 71.

16. M.K.Ganhi, Harijan, 19-12-1936,p-362.

17. Non-Violence in peace and war, Vol-II(Ahmedabad,Navajivan Publishing House,1957), p-63.

18. Ibid–p-7

19. Gandhi, Harijan, 2-4-1938,P-64.

20. Satyanarayana.Y.V, Marx and Gandhi, Andhra University Publications,1988,P-130

21. Gandhi, Harijan, 18-6-1938,P-152.

22. Gandhi, Harijan, 2-4-1938,P-64.

23. Gandhi,R.K.Prabhu and U.R.Rao, (ed) Op.cit, P-115.

24. K.R.Rao, 968,op.cit, P-161