This book develops a critical understanding of Mahatma Gandhi’s philosophy and practice in the context of contemporary challenges and engages with some of his key work and ideas. It highlights the relevance of Gandhi’s legacy in the quest towards peace-building, equity and global justice.
The volume examines diverse facets of Gandhi’s holistic view of human life – social, economic and political – for the creation of a just society. Bringing together expert analyses and reflections, the chapters here emphasise the philosophical and practical urgency of Gandhi's thought and action. They explore the significance of his concepts of truth and nonviolence to address moral, spiritual and ethical issues, growing intolerance, conflict and violence, poverty and hunger, and environmental crisis for the present world.
The volume serves as a platform for constructive dialogue for academics, researchers, policymakers and students to re-imagine Gandhi and his moral and political principles. It will be of great interest to those in philosophy, political studies, Gandhi studies, history, cultural studies, peace studies and sociology.
Foreword by Bhikhu Parekh
Acknowledgements
Contributors
- Introduction: Understanding Gandhi — Why Gandhi Matters Today?
- Philosophy and Practice: A Gandhi-informed Approach
- A Conceptual History of Gandhi’s Satyagraha
- The Scrutinised Life: Gandhi and his Interlocutors
- Swaraj in Gandhian Perspective: Some Reflections
- Gandhian Swaraj: A Theory of Self-Knowledge
- The Different Connotations of Swaraj: Envisioning the Postcolonial Nation in Mahatma Gandhi, Acharya Prafulla Chandra Ray and Rabindranath Tagore
- Modernity, Colonial Injustice and Individual Responsibility: A Study of Gandhi and Ambedkar
- The Ambedkar–Gandhi Debate (1931–1956): Alternative Approaches to Memory and Identity
- Beyond the "Doctor and the Saint" Controversy: Reassessing Gandhi as a Social Crusader
- Gandhi and the ‘Race’ Question
- What Can India Learn from Gandhi Today?
- Waiting for the Waves: India against Corruption Movement and the Aam Aadmi Party — Post-Gandhian Legacies
- Gandhi’s Dialogical Truth Force: Applying Satyagraha Models of Practical Rational Inquiry to the Crises of Ecology, Global Governance, and Technology
- Gandhi: An Apostolic Architect of Humanism
Sanjeev Kumar
PART ONE
Gandhian Philosophy: Theoretical Basis and Practical Dimensions
Douglas Allen
Nishikant Kolge
Sanghamitra Sadhu
PART TWO
Gandhi and Swaraj
Ramchandra Pradhan
Kumar Rahul
Biswanath Banerjee
PART THREE
Gandhi and Social Justice
Vidhu Verma
Bindu Puri
Mustakim Ansary
Hari Nair, Swaha Das and Krishna Akhil Kumar Adavi
PART FOUR
Post-Gandhian Legacy: Issues and Challenges
Antony Copley
Mahendra Prasad Singh
J. Gray Cox
Anandita Biswas
Index
Biography
Sanjeev Kumar is Assistant Professor in the Department of Political Science, Zakir Husain Delhi College, University of Delhi, India. His main teaching and research interests are in the areas of political theory, political sociology of disaster, Gandhian philosophy and peace studies. He has several publications in journals and books to his credit. His most recent edited book is Rajniti Siddhant Ki Samajh (Understanding Political Theory, 2019). He has been Research Fellow at the Centre for the Study of Developing Societies (CSDS) and Fellow at the Developing Countries Research Centre (DCRC), University of Delhi. Currently, he is also Senior Fellow at the Centre for Ethics, Politics and Global Affairs, New Delhi, India.
‘Mahatma Gandhi has made a lasting contribution to political philosophy and this requires that succeeding generations of scholars interpret that contribution in ways that meet the needs of the changing times and intellectual trends. Gandhi and the Contemporary World meets this requirement very admirably: it presents Gandhi in a critical, lively and timely fashion. Enjoy this excellent addition to Gandhi literature’.
Anthony J. Parel, Professor Emeritus of Political Science, University of Calgary, Canada
‘This riveting collection of essays included in the volume throws valuable light on Mahatma Gandhi’s activist political philosophy and on some of its legacies today. Comprehensively discussed and examined are his ideas of truth and non-violence in their bearing on his conception of satyagraha and on his approach to the postcolonial Indian nation’.
Thomas Pantham, former Professor at M S University of Baroda, Baroda, India