Statement of Purpose
Gandhi is often referred to as a political philosopher but is rarely mentioned as an economic theorist. A few writers, however, have discussed the economic implications of Gandhian nonviolence, E. F. Schumacher being among the most prominent, in Small is Beautiful, and A Guide for the Perplexed. The anthology edited by R. Diwan and M. Lutz, Essays on Gandhian Economics is also a useful handbook. The post-Gandhian Indian nonviolent movements of Gramdan and Bhoodan, sometimes linked under the common theme of Sarvodaya, were as well primarily economic, as brilliantly discussed by Geoffrey Ostergaard in Nonviolent Revolution in India. Despite these attempts it seems fair to say that nonviolent economic theory is a fledgling discipline. It is the purpose of this section of our website to add to this discussion notable essays on the theme, as those by Robert Ellsberg, Ostergaard, Iyer, Schumacher, and needless to say Gandhi himself.
by Brian Martin
Martin Luther King banner at 2012 U.S. Republican Convention, courtesy commons.wikimedia.org
Nonviolent action provides the best hope for moving beyond capitalism to a more humane social and economic system. In the past, methods of nonviolent action such as strikes, boycotts, non-cooperation, sit-ins and alternative institutions have most commonly been used to challenge systems of direct violence, such as repressive governments. Capitalism is a more difficult system to challenge using nonviolent action because of the way it infiltrates people’s everyday thinking and behaviour. In order to develop a nonviolence strategy against capitalism, a careful analysis is required to pinpoint key areas for attention, spell out alternatives and highlight opportunities. At the core of capitalism is private ownership of the means of production, including land, factories and knowledge. This is backed up, ultimately, by the coercive power of the state. Problems with capitalism are well known, so only a summary is given here. Generally speaking, the system of ownership encourages individuals and groups to put special interests above general interests.
Read the rest of this article »
