M.K. Gandhi and the social and ecological crisis

Social and environmental conditions are deteriorating in many parts of the developing world. What we call development often leads to environmental degradation and economic exploitation. It is doubtful, if sustainable development can be achieved without fundamentally changing the ethical dimension economies of based upon. M.K. Gandhi contributed much to an ethics that put social and ecological considerations in the center of economic purpose. He fundamentally opposed the laissez-faire capitalism of the late 19th century and provides a fundamental critique of western civilization, where the economy has lost its ethical foundation, where development is understood as unhindered growth which leads to increasing standards of living for some, and to poverty and environmental destruction. Gandhi’s economic ideas influenced the Sarvodaya – Movement in Sri Lanka and the Ujamaa Movement in Tanzania. In India itself Gandhian thoughts inspired the Bhoodan/Gramdan Movements in the 1950s and the Indian opposition movement against the rule of Indira Gandhi under JP Narayan in the 1970s. Globally Gandhi’s economic thoughts influenced many including Johan Galtung E. F. Schumacher, and Arne Naess. The latter one developed his approach of ‘Deep Ecology’ being very close to Gandhi’s ideas of Swaraj (self-rule). Like Gandhi deep ecologists have an intrinsic, fundamental objection to industrialism, and not only to its excesses like shallow ecologists