Gandhi's Politics

4.0 credits · Graduate

Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi is arguably the most consequential anti-imperialist, the most sophisticated advocate of non-violence, and one the shrewdest political tacticians in modern history. He was also an extraordinarily penetrating, complex, and elusive political thinker. In this seminar we will explore the conceptual foundations and theoretical development of Gandhi's politics in the context of Indian discourses of freedom, mass politics, and decolonization. Through an intensive study of Gandhi's writings, of the influences that shaped it, and of the interlocutors and critics in dialogue with whom he developed his ideas, we will explore the philosophical contours and global impacts of Gandhi's political thought.