Description: In this book, Anthony J. Parel makes the controversial argument that despite Gandhi's contributions to religion, nonviolence, civil rights, and civil disobedience, his most significant contribution was that as a political philosopher. He dubs this philosophy Pax Gandhiana, a peaceful political order that requires the confluence of the canonical ends of life-politics and economics (artha), ethics (dharma), forms of pleasure (kama), and the pursuit of spiritual transcendence (moksha).
Review Quotes: "Parel's work raises Gandhi's thought to such an extent that the reviewer can no longer conceive of considering political philosophy historically or comparatively without incorporating a more substantial Gandhi. Essential."
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--Voegelinview"Anthony Parel is fresh but also persuasive in his argument that Gandhi the thinker or political philosopher may be even more significant than the better known Gandhi of action who led India's independence movement, demonstrated that nonviolence works better than violence, and sought to reconcile India's diverse groups."
--Rajmohan Gandhi, author of ^lMohandas: A True Story of a Man, His People and an Empire
"Mohandas K. Gandhi displayed more philosophic complexity than any other national leader on the twentieth century stage. It is difficult to fully and coherently explain his political philosophy. Thankfully, we have Professor Anthony Parel, the distinguished Gandhi scholar, to do that job-and to do it exceedingly well. He succeeds here in opening up a wide avenue of understanding by bringing to bear on this subject a lifetime of careful study and a vast storehouse of wisdom. Scholars seeking to come to grips with Gandhi will find in Professor Parel's book a singular work that is sweeping in its scope, unique in its perspective, and masterful in its analysis. It is a comprehensive, authoritative, and brilliant guide."
--Charles R. DiSalvo, author of ^lM.K. Gandhi, Attorney at Law: The Man before the Mahatma
"How do we define Gandhi's framework ideas? In this fascinating text, through his customary scrupulous interpretation of Gandhi's writings and their connections to India's canonical texts, Parel conveys Gandhi's core belief that artha (politics and economics), influenced by dharma, is the means for personal and societal salvation. He makes a persuasive case for Gandhi as modern India's leading political theorist, a politics of swaraj, an inclusive civic nationalism India has so dismally failed to achieve, and an economics of benevolence. Perceptively, he contextualizes Gandhi with sympathetic minds, Thoreau, Ruskin, Tolstoy and those conflicted, Machiavelli, Tagore, Iqbal, Jinnah and Savarkar."
--Antony Copley, author of ^lGandhi: Against the Tide
"This exploration of Gandhi's political philosophy from within his own framework is an invaluable contribution. Anthony Parel brings the framework of purushartha to bear upon the fundamental principles of Gandhi's thought and life. This allows him to interweave ideas of ethics, equity, aesthetic pleasure, forms of being in the world and quest for ultimate freedom."
--Tridip Suhrud, Sabarmati Ashram Preservation and Memorial Trust, Ahmedabad