Mohandas K. Gandhi (1869-1948), known as Mahatma (“Great Soul”), developed the concept of satyagraha - nonviolent resistance - during the Indian independence movement. His philosophy of ahimsa (nonviolence) and simple living influenced subsequent social and environmental movements, including Arne Naess’s deep ecology.
Gandhi developed satyagraha while working in South Africa (1893-1914), where he organized resistance to discriminatory laws. The term combines satya (truth) and agraha (firmness or force). He distinguished satyagraha from passive resistance, proposing it as an active form of moral confrontation that seeks to appeal to an opponent’s conscience rather than to coerce through violence.
His concept of ahimsa extended the traditional Indian principle of nonviolence. Gandhi proposed that ahimsa involves not only refraining from physical harm but also cultivating compassion and refusing to harbor ill will. He wrote that ahimsa and truth (satya) are inseparable: “They are like two sides of a coin.”
Gandhi advocated for simple living and village self-sufficiency. He promoted hand-spinning of khadi (homespun cloth), support for village industries, and minimal personal possessions. His concept of “trusteeship” suggested that those with wealth should hold it in trust for society’s benefit rather than for private accumulation.
His principle of Sarvodaya - the welfare of all - extended ethical consideration beyond human communities. Gandhi practiced vegetarianism and expressed respect for animal life, views that aligned with his broader philosophy of nonviolence.
Gandhi organized major campaigns including the Salt March (1930), in which he walked 240 miles to the sea to make salt in defiance of British monopoly laws. His methods included noncooperation, boycott, and fasting.
Assassinated in 1948, Gandhi’s work influenced Martin Luther King Jr., Cesar Chavez, Nelson Mandela, and Arne Naess, among others. Naess cited Gandhi’s philosophy when developing the concept of nonviolent direct action in deep ecology activism.
Key Concepts
- Satyagraha: Truth-force or soul-force - nonviolent resistance to injustice
- Ahimsa: Nonviolence in thought, word, and deed
- Sarvodaya: Welfare of all beings
- Trusteeship: Wealth held in trust for society’s benefit
- Swaraj: Self-rule, applied both to political independence and individual self-discipline
Essential Works
- “The Story of My Experiments with Truth” (Navajivan Publishing House, 1927-1929) - ISBN 978-81-7229-799-3
- “Hind Swaraj or Indian Home Rule” (Navajivan Publishing House, 1909) - ISBN 978-81-7229-162-5
- “The Collected Works of Mahatma Gandhi” (Publications Division, Government of India, 1958-1994) - 100 volumes
- “Non-Violent Resistance (Satyagraha)” (Dover Publications, 1951) - ISBN 978-0-486-41606-8
Quotes from Mohandas Gandhi
Further Reading
Biographical Sources
- Wikipedia: Mahatma Gandhi
- Fischer, Louis. The Life of Mahatma Gandhi (Harper, 1950) - ISBN 978-0-06-091556-5
- Guha, Ramachandra. Gandhi Before India (Knopf, 2013) - ISBN 978-0-307-59488-1
- Guha, Ramachandra. Gandhi: The Years That Changed the World (Knopf, 2018) - ISBN 978-0-307-47478-0
Key Books
- The Story of My Experiments with Truth (Dover Publications, 1983) - ISBN 978-0-486-24593-8
- All Men Are Brothers: Autobiographical Reflections (Continuum, 1990) - ISBN 978-0-8264-0509-0
- The Essential Gandhi: An Anthology edited by Louis Fischer (Vintage, 2002) - ISBN 978-1-4000-3050-4
Related Resources