World History

Notes 03-20-09

Gandhis Hid Swaraj critique on modern civilization (pg. 35-37)
Provides better:
o Houses and clothing
Is life just about bodily comfort?
o Weapons
Allowing the slaughter of greater number of peoplemass destruction
o Transportation
Shrinks space and time (especially the railroad)
o Efficiency/Productivity
Working class enslaved in factories
o Literacy Rates
More hackwork, destructive media
o Effective medicine
Keeps us functioning while allowing us to maintain our vices

Ends of Human Existence
o Artha prosperity, wealth, power, security
o Kamapleasure, comfort
o Dharmamorality, ethics
o Modern civilization pursues the first two at the expense of dharma

Further critiques
o Education
May make us smarter but does not enable us to do our duty
Character building should be the priority of education, but is not
Also issue of British system teaching English, threat to Indian culture
o Technology
Dehumanizingdependence on technology instead of interaction with people
Inspires inherent laziness

Western tendency toward anti-religion and anti-morality: focus on bodily comforts, economic greed
Is bodily comfort the true standard for human progress?
Unnecessary consumption: is it advanced to want things you dont need?
Modern conveniences dumbing us down? Something amiss?
Is pushing a button to roll up a car window more civilized than rolling it by hand?

The Apostle Paul says he years to share in Christs sufferingshould priority thus be about avoiding suffering?
So much of modern civilization is about avoiding our discomforts, and therefore our humanity
Embracing human limitations is part of true morality

Further Critiques

o Law and legal rights
Legal rights create society, but not community (view of Conservative Romantics)
Gandhi also emphasizing dutysees problem with mere focus on rights
Law system shouldnt be the fundamental groundwork for society

o Economics
Indians should not lust after British factories and modern mechanization
Also issue that Indian crops are converted into British profit instead of feeding the people
Caused several famines; the international market has impacted morality of Indian culture

Gandhis Nationalism
o Claims that Indian civilization is the best in the worldproblematic nationalism?
o However, not a claim made in a vacuum, but against British idea that Europe civilization was the best
o Admittedly there is exaggeration on his part, but his audience is Indian and he is trying to re-instill in
them a pride in their country and dissuade them from lusting after British values
o Shouldnt necessarily be taken completely literallydoesnt claim to be an objective textbook

Historical context of Hind Swaraj
o Beginnings of modern independence movements, which gathered force after WWI
o Gandhis voice gives a sense of this dissatisfaction, not only an Indian sentiment but worldwide

Definition of Hind Swaraj as Indian Home Rule
o We cannot truly be independent if we conquer the British using British means (modern weapons)
o Means create the endsa nation founded on corrupt means can only become a corrupt nation
o If we stop lusting after Western products and technology, the British will leave because they there will
be no possibility for economic profitradical argument!
o We will only truly be independent when we can master our heartsradical argument


Other Issues:
Gandhi often criticized for being impractical and idealist, yet he helped unite millions of Indians
It is likely that the bloodshed between Muslims and Hindus wouldve been worse without Gandhis influence

Particular situationhis views on railroads and technology were not meant to apply to all cultures
At the same time, he is also making a timeless and universal argument when it comes to religion and morality
Important to distinguish between the universal and the particular, and to appreciate them both