[Answered] Write briefly about Gandhian ethics. Discuss the role and relevance of Gandhian ethics in conflict resolution.

Ethics can be defined as the realisation of the need to justify one’s life and the decision to be ethical entails the choice of a particular value: “the sense of satisfaction derived from knowing that one may judge his own life as he would judge another’s and find it good”. This requires some critical self-analysis and for

A brief about Gandhian Ethics:

Gandhi is considered as one of the greatest moral philosopher of India. The major principles of Gandhian ethics are:

1. Ends and Means: Gandhi always emphasised on pure means and ends. Improper means cannot be adopted to achieve proper ends. As a wrong path cannot take you to right destination.
2. Satyagraha: It is the continuous realisation for truth. It mainly includes self sacrifice, peace and non violence. Only a person with will and determination can follow satyagraha.
3. Trusteeship: Wealthy people should acts Trustees of trust that looked after the welfare of the people.
4. Concept of seven sins: Wealth without work, Pleasure without conscience, Knowledge without character, Commerce without morality, Science without Humanity, Religion without Sacrifice, Politics without Principle are seven sins in a society that should be rectified.
5. Sarvodaya: It means Universal Upliftment of all. By inclusiveness many evils of the society can be removed.
6. Dignity of Labor: Gandhi tried to established equality among all by making bread labor compulsory to all.

Role and relevance of Gandhian ethics in conflict resolution:

1. The Gandhian technique of conflict resolution is through satyagraha which has been interpreted as passive resistance, nonviolent resistance etc. Satyagraha according to Gandhi is holding on to Truth.
2. A satyagrahi enjoys a degree of freedom not possible for others, for he becomes a truly fearless person. Once his mind is rid of fear, he will never agree to be another’s slave. Having achieved this state of mind he will never submit to any arbitrary action.
3. Satyagraha is more than a method of conflict resolution that lends itself easily to scientific analysis. It is in fact an ethical system that places heavy emphasis on the quality of the relationship between individuals.
4. According to Gandhian ethics the sense of mutual satisfaction with the outcome, need to be stressed for conflict resolution.
5. Nonviolent action is the most important method in the process of conflict resolution. The technique of nonviolent action conducts protest, resistance and intervention without physical violence by:
6. acts of omission- the participants refuse to perform acts which they usually perform, are expected by customs to performs, or are required by law or regulation to perform.
7.  acts of commission- that is, the participants perform acts that they usually do not perform, are not expected by custom to perform, or are forbidden by law or regulation from performing.
8. a combination of both.

Modern world is full of multidimensional and multidisciplinary conflicts involving use of physical and psychological violent tools. Gandhian approach addresses the issue of conflict at individual level. Gandhi’s approach is still very relevant in modern complex resolution and there is a need to revive and resurrect the philosophy at the level of institutions that are working for conflict resolution.