...August 1942, the Quit India movement was launched. The British resorted to brutal repression against non-violent protesters. It was evident that the British could only maintain the empire at enormous cost to themselves. At the end of World War II, the British began to transfer power to the now sovereign State of India. Throughout the major events of his life, the concept of Satyagraha, or non-violent, peaceful resistance remained a foundational basis for all of his major movements. Gandhi’s philosophy of Satyagraha encompassed his most central core value and belief of the truthful pursuit of non-violence. This idea is displayed through the formation of his ideas on civil disobedience, his implementation of the historic Salt March, and his reaction to the Quit India movement. Satyagraha provides a structural foundation for Gandhi’s ideas on the subject of non-violence and truth and the theory allows him to propagate his ideas in his several movements. Satyagraha is Gandhi’s idea of exclusively non-violent civil disobedience, and is loosely translated as “love force,” which implies that though the nature of Satyagraha is about...
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...Gandhi, one of the most influential individuals of all time, he used civil disobedience as a tool for social reform. Much of the struggles and suffering that Gandhi purposely produced at his own desire, were to initiate a social change to create harmony, to achieve equality and to deter discrimination. He would recommend and actively demonstrate civil disobedience as a moral method to achieve these goals, and would welcome and embrace suffering in the process. Gandhi exhibited a vow of fearlessness. He strived to eliminate discrimination and inequity in South Africa and India and welcomed personal suffering to do so. According to Gandhi civil disobedience would not be effective without the moral power of, and commitment to, Satyagraha. In my essay I will be discussing the beliefs and principles that Gandhi lived by. Gandhi, was also known as Mahatma Gandhi, was born in Porbandar, in the modern state of Gujarat, on October 2, 1869, into a Hindu family. His parents belonged to the Vaisya caste of Hindu's. Gandhi was a shy and serious boy and grew up in an atmosphere of religious tolerance and acceptance of teachings of various Hindu sects. Gandhi was married at 13 years old, he married a girl named Kasturibhai. The wedding was arranged according to custom by his parents. The Gandhi's had four children. At the age of 19, Gandhi traveled to England to study law. During that time he began to develop his philosophy of life. He also studied the great Indian religious classic the...
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...Gandhi's Hind Swaraj takes the form of a dialogue between two characters, The Reader and The Editor. The Reader essentially serves as the typical Indian countryman whom Gandhi would have been addressing with Hind Swaraj. The Reader voices the common beliefs and arguments of the time concerning Indian Independence. Gandhi, The Editor, explains why those arguments are flawed and interject his own arguments. As The Editor Gandhi puts it, "it is my duty patiently to try to remove your prejudice." In the dialogue which follows, Gandhi outlines four themes which structure his arguments. 1. First, Gandhi argues that ‘Home Rule is Self Rule’. He argues that it is not enough for the British to leave only for Indians to adopt a British-styled society. As he puts it, some "want English rule without the Englishman ... that is to say, [they] would make India English. And when it becomes English, it will be called not Hindustan but Englishtan. This is not the Swaraj I want.” 2. Gandhi also argues that Indian independence is only possible through passive resistance. In fact, more than denouncing violence, Gandhi argues that it is counter-productive; instead, he believes, “The force of love and pity is infinitely greater than the force of arms. There is harm in the exercise of brute force, never in that of pity.” This is essential throughout Hind Swaraj. 3. In order to exert passive resistance, Gandhi reasons that Swadeshi (self-reliance) be exercised by Indians, meaning the refusal of all trade...
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...Gandhi, a world renowned political and spiritual leader. The symbol of free India. A great man who fought for the rights of his people through his words instead of his actions. Gandhi has a great start on what could be somewhat of a bible of life. He did this by describing in great detail what he should do to live in harmony. What made Gandhi's nonviolence movement work? There were three keys to success in leading to movement, civil disobedience, willingness to serve jail time and embracing the enemy. One key tactic that Gandhi used was disciplined civil disobedience. Gandhi started a campaign of Satyagraha “The salt march” in march 1930, to free India from british control (Doc A). Thousands of people followed Gandhi's lead. Civil disobedience...
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...changes. b. Thesis statement: History shows how leaders impact the outcomes and development of cultures and society due to social and political changes and influences. c. Preview of Main Points: i. World leader Gandhi led to Satyagraha and the equal rights for all. ii. Martin Luther King Jr. contributed to the Civil Rights Act and Voting Rights Act. II. Gandhi’s contribution to social changes. a. One of the worlds most pronounced leaders of the twentieth century. b. Concept of Satyagraha, truth and firmness (Mohandas Gandhi). c. Indian Independence from Britain in 1947. III. Martin Luther King Jr.’s contribution to the social changes made in the United States. a. King traveled the Country and the world to lecture other leaders, activists, and protestors on the importance, how to, and benefits on non-violent protesting. b. Civil Rights Act prohibiting racial discrimination (History.com) c. Voting Rights Act guaranteeing the right to vote to all African Americans (History.com). IV. Conclusion a. Restatement of thesis: History shows how leaders impact the outcomes and development of cultures and society due to social and political changes and influences. b. Summary of main points: i. Gandhi led to the concept of Satyagraha and the equal rights for all due to his contribution towards India’s...
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...LAGAZON, ALFONSO MIGUEL L. BS PT 2-2 SIR DESTURA, PHILOSOPHY RETRIEVED FROM: www.mkgandhi-sarvodaya.org/articles/ramanand.htm ARTICLES: ON & BY GANDHI The Gandhian philosophy of satyagraha is a natural outcome of the supreme concept of truth. If truth is the ultimate reality, then it is imperative to safeguard the criteria and foundations of truth. A votary of “God, which is the highest Truth and the highest Reality” must be utterly selfless and gentle. He should have an unconquerable determination to fight for the supremacy of spiritual and moral values. Thus alone can he vindicate his sense of ethical devotion? Satyagraha means the exercise of the purest soul-force against all injustice, oppression and exploitation. Suffering and trust are attributes of soul force. The active nonviolent resistance of the ‘heroic meek’ makes an immediate appeal to the heart. It wants not to endanger the opponent but to overwhelm him by the over flooding power of innocence. Satyagraha or stupendous effort at conversion can be applied against the Government, the social Czars and leaders of ‘orthodoxy’. Satyagraha is an inherent birthright of a person. It is not merely a sacred right but it can also be a sacred duty. If the Government does not represent the will of the people, and if it begins to support dishonesty and terrorism, then it should be disobeyed. But one who wants to vindicate his rights should be prepared to bear all kinds of suffering. Gandhi referred...
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...GKE Task 2 GKE Task 2 Mahatma Gandhi was a very important spiritual and political influence of his time. Mahatma Gandhi believed in nonviolent peace regarding religion and politics. He was also considered an antiwar activist. Mahatma Gandhi studied law and became a leader and advocate for rights of Indians. Gandhi went to Africa in 1893 and spent 20 years there acting as an antagonist against unfair and unjust legislation against Indians. Gandhi launched Satyagraha, which is the opposition through widespread nonviolent civil disobedience. Satyagraha is still used worldwide today. In 1914 Gandhi traveled back to India. Mahatma Gandhi had a goal for laborers and farmers to oppose unfair discrimination and taxes against them. He believed in self-rule in India, which would end discrimination, poverty, while also liberating women. To gain independence, he developed a policy that believed in noncooperation and nonviolent actions. He was a leader of the Indian National Congress and endorsed the Home Rule Movement. Due to his actions, he was eventually was put in jail. In 1930 he led a symbolic march where they collected salt to make a point against the government. In 1931 he attended the London Round Table conference. There they discussed Indian constitutional reform. He tried to reach an agreement with the Cabinet Mission in 1946 where he advocated for a new constitutional formation or structure. In Bengal in 1947, he tried to end the Hindu Muslim conflict. This ended up with...
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...Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi’s philosophy and teaching were based on a theory called Satyagraha. Satyagraha (soul-force) is a way of living one’s life through combining truth, love, and resistance to any physical violence. Gandhi personally embodied this satyagraha way of life and spent most of his life dedicated to bringing his home land, India to the same. However, his political views and satyagraha teachings brought about much turmoil during this time in India. During the early 1900’s, India longed for religious and political freedom from the British Empire. With strong influences from western societies, western political views, and a predominately secular society, could the practice of daily living a satyaghra survive and be successful today? Satyagraha “soul-force” or “love-force” has a beautiful concept to daily living such as reframing from violence, harboring no anger, and to be truthful. Together with the force of truth and love of nonviolence, the phase “passive resistance” became coined with Gandhi’s satyagraha living. Convincing the Indian government and people of India to live satyagraha religiously was pain-staking for Gandhi and he continued this quest until his assignation by a religious fanatic at the age of 79. Gandhi stated, “nonviolence in its dynamic condition means conscious suffering. It does mean meek submission to the will of the evil-doer, but it means the pitting of one’s whole soul against the will the tyrant.” (455) I believe the people...
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...forms. It requires change of heart.” Mahatma Gandhi The real name of Mahatma Gandhi is Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi. He also knew as Father of the Nation, Bapu (Father) and Gandhiji. The word Mahatma (often employed in ordinary journalistic usage without any definite article, as if it were Mohandas Gandhi’s first name) is actually the Sanskrit word for “Great Soul.” Mohandas Gandhi is considered the father of the Indian independence movement. Gandhi spent 20 years in South Africa working to fight discrimination. It was there that he created his concept of satyagraha (fast, civil disobedience), a non-violent way of protesting against injustices. satyagraha would resist the injustice by refusing to follow an unjust law. In doing so, he would not be angry, would put up freely with physical assaults to his person and the confiscation of his property, and would not use foul language to smear his opponent. A practitioner of satyagraha also would never take advantage of an opponent's problems. The goal was not for there to be a winner and loser of the battle, but rather, that all would eventually see and understand the "truth" and agree to rescind the unjust law. “My religion is based on truth and non-violence. Truth is my God. Non-violence is the means of realising Him.” Mahatma Gandhi. While in India, Gandhi's obvious virtue, simplistic lifestyle, and minimal dress endeared him to the people. He spent his remaining years working diligently to both remove British rule from India as...
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...Ivyanne London Dr. Bryan English 2010 7 December 2012 The Bhagavad- Gita: Influence on Civil Disobedience Advocates Civil disobedience can be described as the nonviolent means of bringing about social change. The Bhagavad- Gita is a philosophical poem that attempts to ask difficult questions of universal issues that deal with the topic of civil disobedience. The messages that are told throughout the poem have had major influences on civil disobedience advocates such as Henry David Thoreau, Mahatma Gandhi, and Martin Luther King. This work offers explanations that can be applied to dilemmas that can’t be resolved with a simple form of action. According to the Theosophical Society of America, The Bhagavad- Gita, commonly known as the “Gita” has been passed back and forth between America and India through these civil disobedience activists. They each had influences on each other along with the Gita. Some reoccurring themes that may have influenced Thoreau, Gandhi, and King include questions about the right way to live, seeking higher knowledge, and how no action is still a form of action. The version of The Bhagavad- Gita that is told in The Norton Anthology of World Literature, 3rd edition, begins with the moment of crisis in Arjuna’s mind. Arjuna is the middle son of his five brothers who are apart of the Pandavas. He is apart of the warrior caste and is the most skilled and feared archer of his time. They are about to engage in war with their cousins, the Kauravas, because...
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...Millions of Indians joined him to show their support. Like African-Americans in the United States, the Indian people longed for freedom, as well as for the full spectrum of rights denied them by the British government. The Salt March resulted in the mass civil disobedience and non- violent struggle against British rule. As Gandhi and his followers reached the coast, he picked up a handful of salt, breaking the law. A month later, Gandhi was arrested. This started a series of protests and boycotts, which closed many British shops and mills. In planning protests and boycotts, Gandhi always incorporated the strategy of “Ahimsa” believing that the non-violent resistance for Indian freedom was “Satyagraha.” Satyagraha means holding unto the truth and Ahimsa means not to hurt others. Satyagraha was like a weapon. By using non-violence, Gandhi forced the British to accept their demands. This...
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...I have been a stay at home mother off and on since my first child was born 16 years ago. I heard constantly that being a stay at home mom is not right. I should be out there working and helping to support my family. A friend of mine has never been unemployed since she was 16. When she went on maternity leave about two years ago, she graduated college with a degree in teaching while on leave. After her six weeks of maternity leave, she found a full-time substitute position at an elementary school which led to a contract the next school year. The same people that ridiculed me for being a stay at home mom then ridiculed her for leaving her child at daycare so she could work. She has a wonderful husband who is involved in every aspect of her and their child’s life. They both spend equal amounts of time being a parent, individually and together. I see no suffering from the child because he does not have a stay at home mom. What I do see is a happy, healthy, well cared for, and loved child who has two very loving and involved parents, just as my children have and are, even though I am a stay at home mom. According to Nancy Chodorow, to have happy, healthy, and well balanced children both parents should be equally responsible for raising their children and both work outside the home. I partially agree with her theory. I agree that both parents should be equally responsible in raising their children, however, I do not agree that in order to raise happy, healthy, and well balanced children...
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...Thesis Statement: Henry David Thoreau is one of the pioneers of Transcendentalism, and his famous work, Civil Disobedience has great effect on Mahatma Gandhi’s ideology and movement which drives the India for independence. Outline 1. Introduction 1. Brief introduction of Henry David Thoreau 2. Brief introduction of Mahatma Gandhi 2. Writing background and cores of Civil Disobedience 2.1 Writing background 2.2 Cores of Civil Disobedience 2.2.1 Conscience of human 2.2.2 Effect of morality 2.2.3 Suspicion of American’s democracy 2.3.4 In-cooperation with government 3. Embodiment on Mahatma Gandhi 3.1 Effect on Gandhi’s ideology 3.1.1 Works of Gandhi 3.1.2 Speeches of Gandhi 3.2 Effect on Gandhi’s movement 3.2.1 Gandhi in South Africa 3.2.2 Gandhi in India 4. Conclusion 1. Introduction 1.1 Brief introduction of Henry David Thoreau Henry David Thoreau was one of the most famous writers, naturalist, philosophers, abolitionists, and the pioneers of Transcendentalism in America in 19 century. He was born in Concord, Massachusetts, 1817. Thoreau met Ralph Waldo Emerson when he studied in university. And he was deeply influenced by Emerson who advocated that man should be true to himself and close to nature. Emerson was not only a friend but also a teacher to Thoreau. They had edited the journal Sundial together. Thoreau graduated from Harvard College in 1837 and worked as...
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...Mahatma Gandhi describes western civilization as a force in the world that even though can be seen as a great idea is essentially everything that’s wrong with the modern world. Gandhi gives the notion that the more people give in to the culture of western civilizations the more they give up on what truly makes humans human. Gandhi states the difference between cultures when he states, “But from the present civilization, or, rather, from western civilization, there flow two propositions which have almost become maxims to live by I call them fallacious maxims. They are might is right and survival of the fittest. Those who have propounded these two maxims have given a meaning to them. I am not going into the meaning that might be attached in our minds to them, but they have said undoubtedly, by saying “might is right”, that physical might is right, that physical strength is right and supreme. Some of them have also combined intellectual strength with physical strength, but I would replace both these with heart-strength, and I say that nobody with merely physical might and intellectual might can ever enjoy that strength that can proceed from the heart. It never can be that mere intellectual or mere physical strength can ever supersede the heart-strength or, as Ruskin would say, social affections. A quickening and quickened soul responds only to the springs of the heart. To Gandhi the difference between western and eastern is that It appears that western civilization is destructive...
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...thoughts unfortunately are Indians and not foreigners. These people did not feel the relevance of Gandhian thoughts even when he was alive. This feeling of disagreement with Gandhian philosophy resulted in his assassination. Society is going through a degraded phase which should be revoked so that humanity sustains in this world for centuries. Today when we are surrounded by the forces of darkness, we need a leader like Gandhi, a man of rare courage, character, and charisma, who dares to tell the truth, who can overcome violence with nonviolence, and who shows us the way to light. Gandhi and his twin principles of satya (truth) and ahimsa (nonviolence) are more relevant today than any other time in human history, and the Gandhian style of satyagraha seems to be the only potent and pragmatic, moral equivalent of war in these troubled times. Gandhi not only said but showed us the way that, “nonviolence is infinitely superior to violence,” and the soul-force is far more potent than the brute-force. Gandhi was in favour of using the thoughts against the arms and not the arms against the arms, to fight injustice and inequality. He gave an armament to the humanity in which there was no need to raise arms or make enemies. He believed in changing the society with his thoughts and not with the power or force. After the heavy destruction of property and lives in the World War II, when there was no good in the war, at last in 1945, the United Nations Organisation made declaration according to...
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