The Moral And Political Thought Of Mahatma Gandhi

By Raghavan N. Iyer

About The Author :

The late Raghavan N. Iyer was Professor of Political Science at the University of California, Santa Barbara.  He taught political philosophy at Oxford for eight years and was Visiting Professor at the Universities of Oslo, Ghana and Chicago.

BOOK REVIEW

This book throws light upon the central concepts in the moral and political thought of Mahatma Gandhi. Despite the vast literature on Gandhi, little attention has been paid to the solid conceptual foundations of his thought.  Professor Iyer addresses this gap in understanding of Gandhi's moral and political thought and brings out the universal import of Gandhi's political ethics.

There is a detailed examination of the consequences of Gandhi's concepts of truth and non-violence, freedom and obligation, and his view of the relations between means and end in politics. Gandhi's condemnation of modern civilization, his plea for the purification of politics, his conception of an unquestionable moral commitment, his vision of human perfectibility, and his perception of the role of individual conscience and heroism in society are all carefully considered in this book.

Enriched by indirect references to a wide range of political thinkers, classical and modern, this book makes a significant contribution to contemporary thought about the place of moral values in political action.  This work is relevant for scholars and general readers concerned about the troubled political ethic of the postmodern world.

Published by

Oxford University Press

New Delhi 110 001 India

Price Rs. 345/-