SYNOPSIS Review and analysis of Gandhian Economic Method and the Challenge of Expediency By Narendar Pani

Group Members: Diksha Rohra and Swatilekha Thakur

The concept of Gandhian Economics, coined by J C Kumarappa, aims at meeting human needs through the thought and philosophy of Mahatma Gandhi. Work on economic methodology especially in the last two decades of the twentieth century has tended to fall into two rather distinct streams. On the one hand, those involved in debates of economic methodology tend to focus almost entirely on the philosophical dimensions of the issue. On the other hand, for those primarily concerned with analyses of real economics, economic methodology has been about techniques to collect and analyse empirical information. Economics dealing with policy issues are of the view that the value of economists is determined by their ability to solve practical problems. This value recognizes the challenge posed by expediency where expedience is defined as the quality of being suited to the end in view. However, expediency leads to solutions where although the solution is suitable in the short term, it is not necessarily moral i.e. it may be immoral as well. This paper explores the possibility of how the Gandhian method would address the challenge of expediency. The author analyses the philosophy of Gandhi based on his interpretation of Hinduism and particularly Bhagavad Gita,a key text in Indian spiritual tradition. From the Bhagavad Gita, action is defined as: knowledge, object of knowledge and the knower compose the threefold urge to action; the means, the action and the doer compose the threefold sum of action. This definition has inclusiveness which ensures that the analysis is not confined to the objective elements but also captures the subjective elements reflected in the knower and the doer. Thus the Gandhian method proposes to include the subjective dimension of the inquirer as a part of knowledge. But including the subjective dimension does not necessarily compromise with objectivity. Rather an inclusion of subjectivity urges us to continuously work on improving subjectivity i.e improving the quality of subjective judgements. Gandhi reduces the scope for expediency by defining moral action as supported by purity of intention and an element of sacrifice. Without these elements an action may be good but non-moral. Also, to ensure that an individual pursues the path of morality, a social pressure needs to be generated.To counter the problem of self interest affecting the inquirer, Gandhi built on the concept of action proposed in the Bhagavad Gita where non attachment is the desired mode. For Gandhi, inquirers should embody the spirit of non-attachment so that they would not try to influence the result of their experiment or inquiries. But at the same time Gandhi emphasizes staying with the community one studies as an essential on the part of the social researchers Thus the author says that the challenge of expediency can be met by explicit recognition of role of subjectivity i.e. knowledge has both subjective and objective dimension where the focus should be to improve the quality of subjective judgments.