Mahatma Gandhi
Douglas AllenLeading Gandhi scholar Douglas Allen presents a new, challenging approach to Gandhi's life, philosophy and teachings. The biography explores the historical and cultural significance of Gandhi's extraordinary life, and describes his continuing relevance in life today.
Mahatma Gandhi was one of the most admired and controversial figures of the twentieth century, and he remains so today. In this book leading Gandhi scholar Douglas Allen presents a new, challenging approach to understanding Gandhi’s life and the contexts within which he lived and shaped history, and how his philosophy and practices can be reformulated in ways that are most significant today.
Mahatma Gandhi explores the historical and cultural significance of Gandhi’s extraordinary life and analyses his continuing relevance in addressing key issues of truth, ethics, violence and non-violence, war and peace, equality and freedom, different forms of exploitation and oppression, religion and religious conflict and dialogue, and environmental crises. Douglas Allen provides an urgently needed new perspective on Gandhi, which allows us to rethink our basic values and priorities. By understanding Gandhi’s life and message, he creates a new paradigm for evaluating truth, non-violence, peace and morality, and offers new criteria for assessing our modern approach to standards of living, development, evolutionary progress, happiness and meaningful human existence.
Mahatma Gandhi will appeal to general readers and those interested in philosophy, religion, political science, history and peace studies.
Leading Gandhi scholar Douglas Allen presents a new, challenging approach to Gandhi's life, philosophy and teachings. The biography explores the historical and cultural significance of Gandhi's extraordinary life, and describes his continuing relevance in life today.
Mahatma Gandhi was one of the most admired and controversial figures of the twentieth century, and he remains so today. In this book leading Gandhi scholar Douglas Allen presents a new, challenging approach to understanding Gandhi’s life and the contexts within which he lived and shaped history, and how his philosophy and practices can be reformulated in ways that are most significant today.
Mahatma Gandhi explores the historical and cultural significance of Gandhi’s extraordinary life and analyses his continuing relevance in addressing key issues of truth, ethics, violence and non-violence, war and peace, equality and freedom, different forms of exploitation and oppression, religion and religious conflict and dialogue, and environmental crises. Douglas Allen provides an urgently needed new perspective on Gandhi, which allows us to rethink our basic values and priorities. By understanding Gandhi’s life and message, he creates a new paradigm for evaluating truth, non-violence, peace and morality, and offers new criteria for assessing our modern approach to standards of living, development, evolutionary progress, happiness and meaningful human existence.
Mahatma Gandhi will appeal to general readers and those interested in philosophy, religion, political science, history and peace studies.
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Mahatma Gandhi unfolds Gandhis life in all its richness and throws light on his biographical details as well as highlights his philosophy and struggles elegantly and lucidly . . . With sensitivity and scholarship, Allen traces the life of an amazing person striving for truth and evolving from ordinary to extraordinary . . . Allen shows that in a dynamic, flexible, contextually sensitive, and inclusive manner, Gandhi actually underlined a profound theory and philosophy. Allens elaboration of Gandhis principles of truth and nonviolence is brilliant. He argues convincingly that Gandhi presents an inclusive, organic, holistic philosophical approach with principles that affirm the essential unity and interrelatedness of all existence . . . The importance of the book is that it draws the readers attention to the fact that a comprehensive examination of Gandhis writings reveals a more subtle, nuanced and flexible Gandhi . . . This book, free from jargon, brings out vibrancy and validity of Gandhis life and ideas in a lucid and engrossing manner and promises to be useful for researchers and general readers.
'Gandhi Marg Quarterly
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This is an eminently learned and well researched book but it is also, and more importantly, a deeply engaged and even passionate book. And, I believe, there can really be no other way of writing about the man whom Einstein praised as the most enlightened of all political figures. We are greatly indebted to Douglas Allen for presenting the life story and the political and intellectual contributions of this man with such verve and clarity. In the midst of our horribly corrupt and violence-prone time, Gandhi is a beacon of light. Paraphrasing Martin Luther Kings statement that If humanity is to progress, Gandhi is inescapable, one might say that for anyone seeking to understand Gandhi, Allen's book is essential.
'Professor Fred Dallmayr, University of Notre Dame
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A perceptive and reliable introduction to Gandhis life and thought, one that also shows how his thinking continues to throw considerable light on contemporary issues.
'Professor Lord Bhikhu Parekh, University of Westminster
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Captures the essence of Gandhis constant striving for truth and his unusual journey on the path of non-violence. This book is a boon to researchers as well as to general readers.
'Usha Thakkar
Introduction
1. Youth in India and England
2. South Africa
3. From the Return to India to the Salt March
4. From the Round Table to 'Constructive Work'
5. From 'Quit India' to Gandhi's Assassination
6. Gandhi's Philosophy: Truth and Nonviolence
7. Modern Civilization, Religion and a New Paradigm
8. Gandhi Today
References
Select Bibliography
Acknowledgements
Photo Acknowledgements
Douglas Allen is Professor of Philosophy at the University of Maine, Orono, Maine. He is the author of numerous studies on Gandhi.