Gandhi and the Idea of Swaraj

113 Pages·2023·1.596 MB·English

by  Ramin Jahanbegloo

GANDHI AND THE IDEA OF SWARAJ
This book examines Gandhi’s idea of swaraj as an alternative to the
modern concept of political authority. It also introduces the readers
to Gandhi’s ideas of moral interconnectedness and empathetic
pluralism. It explores the Gandhian belief that “nonviolence” as
a moral and political concept is essentially the empowerment of
the Other through spiritual and political realization of the self as
a non-egocentric subject. Further, it highlights swaraj as an act of
conscience and therefore a transformative force, essential to the
harmony between spirituality and politics.
The volume will be of great interest to scholars and researchers of
philosophy, politics, and South Asian studies.
Ramin Jahanbegloo is an Iranian–Canadian philosopher. He is
presently the executive director of the Mahatma Gandhi Centre for
Nonviolence and Peace Studies and the vice-dean of the School of
Law at Jindal Global University, Sonipat, India. He is the winner of
the Peace Prize from the United Nations Association in Spain (2009)
for his extensive academic work in promoting dialogue among
cultures and his advocacy for nonviolence. More recently, he is the
winner of the Josep Palau i Fabre International Essay Prize. Some of
his most recent publications are Gadflies in the Public Space (2016),
The Decline of Civilization (2017), Letters to a Young Philosopher
(2017), On Forgiveness and Revenge (2017), and The Global Gandhi:
Essays in Comparative Political Philosophy (2018).

GANDHI AND THE IDEA
OF SWARAJ
Ramin Jahanbegloo
First published 2023
by Routledge
4 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon OX14 4RN
and by Routledge
605 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10158
Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group,
an informa business
© 2023 Ramin Jahanbegloo
The right of Ramin Jahanbegloo to be identified as author of this
work has been asserted in accordance with sections 77 and 78 of the
Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or
reproduced or utilised in any form or by any electronic, mechanical,
or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including
photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or
retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publishers.
Trademark notice: Product or corporate names may be trademarks
or registered trademarks, and are used only for identification and
explanation without intent to infringe.
British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
A catalog record has been requested for this book
ISBN: 978-1-032-40399-1 (hbk)
ISBN: 978-1-032-43262-5 (pbk)
ISBN: 978-1-003-36649-2 (ebk)
DOI: 10.4324/9781003366492
Typeset in Sabon
by Deanta Global Publishing Services, Chennai, India
TO LORD BHIKHU PAREKH
IN RESPECT AND FRIENDSHIP

CONTENTS
Introduction: Experimenting with Truth: The Nobility
of Spirit 1
1 Politics with Conscience: Parrhesia and Maturity 15
2 Swaraj: Empathetic Emancipation and Common Humanity 29
3 Satyagraha: Socratic Self-Examination and Nonviolent
Citizenry 43
4 Anti-political Politics and Integral Democracy 57
5 The Care of the World and Moral Obligation to Disobey 71
Conclusion: Spirituality of Emancipation and the
Otherness of the Other 85
Bibliography 99
Index 103
vii

10.4324/9781003366492-1
INTRODUCTION
Experimenting with Truth: The Nobility of Spirit
The history of the world is but the biography of prominent men and
women who dared to change our destiny. As a matter of fact, when
we look at the past hundred years of human history, we can conclude
that today’s world would have been different in a very significant
way if a figure by the name of Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi had
not existed. What we owe Gandhi is beyond evaluation. Not only
because of his strong and unimpeachable moral character, which
mobilized millions of Indians to fight for their freedom without
using violence. But also because he inspired many others powerfully
and showed them the way of nonviolent resistance against injustice,
hatred, and spirit of vengeance. Never before in history was an indi-
vidual so universally acknowledged in his lifetime as the embodiment
of righteousness and truth. Gandhi was more than just the Indian
independence leader he is remembered as today. He was one of the
world’s greatest political thinkers, whose life was founded on deep
moral and spiritual convictions. More than being just the father of the
Indian nation, Mahatma Gandhi inspired millions of people around
the globe as an apostle of peace and nonviolence. Undoubtedly, with-
out Gandhi, the concept of “nonviolence” would not have acquired
a general use in the global resistance against injustice. In that respect,
Gandhi turned the religious concept of ahimsa (non-harm), common
to Eastern religions like Buddhism, Hinduism, and Jainism, into a
political tool for mass resistance. In a way we can say that Gandhi
updated the old notion of ahimsa by making it relevant to the urgent
problems of the modern world. As B.R. Nanda argues,
Gandhi’s great achievement was to evolve and practise a
non-violent method for conflict resolution at the beginning
of the twentieth century, which proved to be the most violent
DOI: 10.4324/9781003366492-1 1