The Philosophy of Mahatma Gandhi for the Twenty-First Century

by Douglas Allen, Bhikhu Parekh University of Westminster, Anthony Parel, Vinit Haksar, Richard L. Johnson

Overview

Often considered the most admired human being of the twentieth century, Mahatma Gandhi was and remains controversial. Among the leading Gandhi scholars in the world, the authors of the timely studies in this volume present numerous ways in which Gandhi's thought and action-oriented approach are significant, relevant, and urgently needed for addressing the major problems and concerns of the twenty-first century. Such problems and concerns include issues of violence and nonviolence, war and peace, religion and religious conflict and dialogue, terrorism, ethics, civil disobedience, injustice, modernism and postmodernism, forms of oppression and exploitation, and environmental destruction. These creative, diverse studies offer a radical critique of the dominant characteristics and priorities of modern Western civilization and the contemporary world. They offer positive alternatives by using Gandhi, in creative and innovative ways, to focus on nonviolence, peace with justice, tolerance and mutual respect, compassion and loving kindness, cooperative relations and the realization of our interconnectedness and unity, meaningful action-oriented engagement of dialogue, resistance, and working for new sustainable ways of being human and creating new societies. This volume is appropriate for the general reader and the Gandhi specialist. It will be of interest for readers in philosophy, religion, political science, history, cultural studies, peace studies, and many other fields. Throughout this book, readers will experience a strong sense of the philosophical and practical urgency and significance of Gandhi's thought and action for the contemporary world.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780739122242
Publisher:	Lexington Books
Publication date:	03/11/2008
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	282
Product dimensions:	6.03(w) x 9.06(h) x 0.81(d)

About the Author

Douglas Allen is a professor in the Department of Philosophy at the University of Maine.

Table of Contents

Chapter 1 Introduction: Key Issues and Overview of Gandhi's Philosophy for the Twenty-first Century
Chapter 2 Gandhi and Interreligious Dialogue
Chapter 3 Bridging the Secular and the Spiritual
Chapter 4 Mahatma Gandhi's Philosophy of Violence, Nonviolence, and Education
Chapter 5 Satyagraha and the Right to Civil Disobedience
Chapter 6 Three 9/11s: Satyagraha or Terrorism
Chapter 7 Nonviolence as a Civic Virtue: Gandhi and Reformed Liberalism
Chapter 8 Gandhi and Islam: A Heart-and-Mind Unity?
Chapter 9 Gandhi's Religious Ethics
Chapter 10 The Postmodern Discourse on Gandhi: Modernity and Truth
Chapter 11 The "Sanatani" Mahatma: Re-reading Gandhi Post-Hindutva
Chapter 12 Gandhi's Conception of a New Society
Chapter 13 The Anatomy of a Nonviolent Revolution: A Comparative Analysis

Editorial Reviews

The substance and structure of this volume make it different from other recent books on the subject…. Each of the chapters is unique in approach and substance and contains multiple layers of thought…. This thought-provoking book, full of nuanced understanding of Gandhi's thoughts, makes an excellent contribution to the relevance of Gandhi's philosophy for the twenty-first century…. Overall, this outstanding collection will be valuable to Gandhian scholars, students, and activists. It will also make an excellent resource for classroom learning.

Philosophy East and West

This accessible book raises important questions about the relationship of Gandhian thought to the contemporary world. Its broad range will be of interest to people from varying backgrounds.

Ian M. Harris

The collection is well organized, reasonably focused, and highly engaging. Without exception, the essays are well-written and thought-provoking. This book makes an important intellectual contribution.

Sushil Mittal

This accessible book raises important questions about the relationship of Gandhian thought to the contemporary world. Its broad range will be of interest to people from varying backgrounds.--Ian M. Harris, International Peace Research Association Foundation and University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee

The collection is well organized, reasonably focused, and highly engaging. Without exception, the essays are well-written and thought-provoking. This book makes an important intellectual contribution.--Sushil Mittal, Mahatma Gandhi Center for Global Nonviolence, James Madison University

The substance and structure of this volume make it different from other recent books on the subject.... Each of the chapters is unique in approach and substance and contains multiple layers of thought.... This thought-provoking book, full of nuanced understanding of Gandhi's thoughts, makes an excellent contribution to the relevance of Gandhi's philosophy for the twenty-first century.... Overall, this outstanding collection will be valuable to Gandhian scholars, students, and activists. It will also make an excellent resource for classroom learning.--Philosophy East and West

From the Publisher