After reading the first assigned portion of Gandhi’s Hind Swaraj, I was most interested in his chapter entitled Civilisation. I found this section to be the most particularly interesting because of Gandhi’s stance on the civilization of a society, more specifically the Indian society. It seems that while Gandhi recognizes and can appreciate the benefits of progression, he ultimately does not feel that such revolutions morally aid mankind. While civilization provides medical benefits and comforts, it also spawns the want for luxuries and creates a temptation that alters a once simpler mindset. Gandhi also envisions the development of more institutions, which he sees as unnecessary and problematic. And although such effects of civilization are prominent today, I can’t help but be accepting of them as it is what I have grown up with and am accustomed to, and so I am interested in further reading Gandhi’s works in hopes of developing a better understanding and appreciation for his view of a simpler lifestyle and the benefits of such, and hopefully he has a notion of how one is to overcome this already established civilization.
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I to thought that Gandhi’s take on modern civilization to be unique as well. For one, Gandhi sees the ever-changing world to be a threat, and that India would be better off without the influence of British imperialism. Also, because of this industrial revolution, it has lead to the separation of India as a nation itself. From just this one idea of Gandhi’s that modern civilization is a problem, much more of his debatable ideas come into play. This lack of a sense of nationalism points to the fact that Indian’s learn English, and not their own languages. In lecture, it was said that there are over 450 dialects of Indian language, and yet because of British reign, English is taught, and the roots to the Indian culture are threatened to be lost. Overall, while Gandhi fights for life to return to its simplicities, others may argue that it is the way of mankind to pursue higher ways of life.
I also thought his take on civilization was interesting. Before when I thought of Gandhi, I just related him to peaceful resistance, and would never associate him with a critique of civilization. I think it’d be interesting to see his view on modernization and its effects, as through globalization and other things that capitalism and technology have affected.
i think it is interesting to think about what kinds of progress would be "okay" for gandhi.
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