The Philosophy of Mahatma Gandhi for the Twenty-first Century by Douglas Allen The Philosophy of Mahatma Gandhi offers a fresh perspective on one of the most admired, yet also controversial, figures of the 20th century. Douglas Allen and a leading group of Gandhi scholars present numerous ways in which Gandhi's thought and action-oriented approach are urgently needed for addressing major problems as we move into the 21st century. In turn, the contributors discuss how Gandhi's philosophy can shed light on 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.
The Philosophy of Mahatma Gandhi will appeal to all levels of students and scholars. The book is appropriate for general readers and Gandhi specialists, and this volume will be of interest for those in philosophy, religion, political science, history, cultural studies, peace studies, and many other fields.
These creative and 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.
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.
List of Contributors
Douglas Allen, Bhikhu Parekh, Anthony Parel, Douglas Allen, Vinit Haksar, Richard L. Johnson, Nicholas Gier, Fred Dallmayr, Joseph Prabhu, Naresh Dadhich, Makarand Paranjape, Margaret Chatterjee, and M. V. Naidu.
About the Editor
Douglas Allen is a professor in the Department of Philosophy at the University of Maine. |