Gandhi’s Political Thought

Gandhi's Political Thought

1 Introduction to Gandhian Political Thought

  1. Autonomy of Modern Indian Thought
  2. Intellectual Influences on Gandhi
  3. Gandhi as a Critic of the West
  4. Gandhi as a Seeker of Indigenous Roots
  5. Gandhi’s Admiration of the British Institutions

2 Gandhi’s views on State and Citizenship (Ramrajya)

  1. Notions of State and Swaraj
  2. Economic basis of Political Independence
  3. Constructive Programme
  4. Citizenship

3 Gandhi’s views on Democracy (Gramswaraj)

  1. City and Village
  2. Gram Swaraj
  3. Critique of Industrialisation
  4. Critique of Machinery

4 Gandhi’s concept of Nationalism

  1. India as a nation
  2. Assessment of the Congress and the British Political Institutions and Practices
  3. Self -Rule: need to bridge the gap between the elite and the masses

5 Rights and Duties

  1. Gandhi’s Individualism
  2. Concept of Autonomy
  3. Individual and Satyagraha
  4. Satyagraha and Swaraj
  5. Rights and Duties
  6. Rights of Women

6 Means and Ends

  1. Conflict and its Resolution
  2. Purity of Means and Ends
  3. Ahimsa as the Means to Realise Swaraj

7 Liberty and Equality

  1. Individual Freedom and Swaraj
  2. Individual Conscience and Freedom
  3. Equality as an All-Pervasive Value
  4. Economic Equality
  5. Racial and Caste Equality

8 Power and Authority

  1. Spiritualising Political life and Political Institutions
  2. Concept of Power
  3. Concept of Truth as Authority and Individual Conscience
  4. State, Obligation and Civil Disobedience
  5. Authority in Anarchist Society

9 Gandhi’s views on Colonialism and Imperialism

  1. Impact of Colonialism and Imperialism on State and Citizens
  2. Impact on Socio-Economic Life
  3. Modern Civilisation
  4. Gandhi’s Non-Violent Struggle Against Colonialism

10 Gandhi’s views on Liberalism and Constitutionalism

  1. Understanding Liberalism and Constitutionalism
  2. Gandhi and Core Concepts of Liberalism and Constitutionalism
  3. Constitutionalism
  4. An Overview

11 Fascism

  1. Understanding Fascism
  2. Gandhi on Fascism
  3. Ultra-Nationalism
  4. Towards a Totalitarian State
  5. Corporatism
  6. Fascism and Racialism
  7. Religion

12 Gandhi’s views on Socialism and Marxism

  1. Gandhi’s Critique of Socialism and Communism
  2. Social Transformation
  3. Redistribution of Power
  4. Dictatorship of the Proletariat
  5. Politics, Religion and Economics

13 Gandhi on Structural Violence

  1. Conflict and Violence
  2. Violence Direct and Indirect
  3. Structural Violence
  4. Cultural Violence
  5. Gandhi on Structural Violence
  6. Preventing Structural Violence

14 Satyagraha as a Means of Conflict Resolution

  1. Meaning of Conflict Resolution
  2. Meaning of Satyagraha
  3. Gandhi and Satyagraha
  4. Techniques of Satyagraha
  5. Satyagraha as a Tool of Conflict Resolution
  6. Satyagraha in the 21st Century

15 Gandhi on Pacifism

  1. Theoretical Aspects
  2. The Bhagvad Gita and Pacifism
  3. Gandhi as a Qualified Pacifist
  4. Gandhi on Conflict Resolution
  5. Nonviolent Action for Defensive, Interstate Struggle

16 World Order

  1. Requisites for a Peaceful World Order
  2. A Peaceful Social Order and Human Rights
  3. War: The Unsolved Problem of International Relations
  4. Non-violence: Pre-requisite for the Total Development
  5. Role of Satyagraha in Nuclear Age
  6. Restructuring Knowledge