University History Essay: Gandhi's Ideals - Utopian or Realistic?

This essay delves into the complexities of Mahatma Gandhi's social and political views, exploring whether his ideals were utopian or practically achievable. The essay examines Gandhi's role in the Indian independence movement, his advocacy for non-violence (ahimsa), and his vision for an independent India. It questions the practicality of his methods and the criticisms leveled against his utopian ideals, particularly in relation to industry, economy, and modernity. Furthermore, it explores how Gandhi garnered widespread support and affection despite his perceived personal aloofness, and why his blend of mysticism and political activism resonated with Western audiences. The essay references scholarly sources to support its arguments and provides a comprehensive analysis of Gandhi's lasting impact on both India and the global stage, examining his philosophical approach to politics and social change.

Running head: HISTORY ESSAY
HISTORY ESSAY
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author note:

1HISTORY ESSAY
Were Gandhi’s social and political views ‘utopian’?
Gandhi had been politically active at a time when the Indian national struggle for
freedom was at its peak. The Indian people had been aspiring for a total political and
administrative change. The mood of many of the people had been demoralized because of the
long term British occupation on the Indian soil. Therefore it is necessary that a political ideology
comes up that will be encouraging the Indian people out of the depression and give them
aspiration for a better future. Therefore Gandhi’s ideology rightly fulfilled the aspirations of the
people by encouraging them to vie for Swarajya or independence in a peaceful manner. However
achieving freedom through the process of non-violence is often considered to be Utopian. The
ideal state imagined by Gandhi was also often criticized by many as not practically achievable in
the real world.
Utopia is sometimes described as the ideal state of affair which is not really achievable
by practical means. Complete nonviolence is no really practical to be achieved because even
maintenance of law and order requires some amount of violence to be used.
Was there ‘some method to his madness’ in his complex attitudes on industry, economy
and modernity?
Gandhi had his own ideas about the functioning of a state and how the administration
system could function. His ideas were mostly idealistic and imagined a perfect state which was
devoid of violence and did not have negative aspects like corruption and political violence. Many
has termed the idea of politics as political madness. This is because the political ideas of Gandhi
as the ideal nonviolent state was Utopian and unreal.

2HISTORY ESSAY
Economic views like industry, economy and modernity was expected to run in the ideal
and modern way. There was of course political vision behind what Gandhi had imagined as the
ideal political scenario of the state. India desperately needed a political vision that would be
idealistic so that the common people could aspire to achieve the ideal state of affairs. Therefore
there was “method” to the “madness” which was received as the political ideology of Gandhi.
There are many people throughout the world who are ardent supporters of the nonviolence
“ahimsa” philosophy propagated by Gandhi. It was taken as the ideal example of state affairs by
many great personalities all over the world.
How was it that Gandhi was able to attract such an extraordinary body of support and
affection, given his seeming personal aloofness and unworldliness?
Gandhi was himself a personality who had been staying away from personal involvement
which included emotional and physical involvement with people. However he was one of the
most popular and greatest people’s leaders of all times. Therefore this is one of his dynamic
political image which allowed him to keep both the image of aloofness from the crowd and being
the political leader of the mass. This was only possible because of the deep political connect to
the general mass of the people who had deep regard for the person who was Gandhi. The way in
which Gandhi used to have a simple lifestyle and remained aloof from the general population
was actually the factor that worked well with the general mass of the people therefore they
reacted to Gandhi in a way that is still today unmatchable as a public leader.
Unworldliness of Gandhi was one of the fact that made the people more attracted towards
him and see him as the ideal person in all aspects.

3HISTORY ESSAY
Why did Gandhi’s quite personal and even idiosyncratic blend of mystic and political
activists ‘play’ so well with Western audiences?
The Western audience were very much interested in the political career of Gandhi. He
himself was one of the persons who commanded enigma and political mysticism. The people in
general followed him like the ideal person. He was given the title of Mahatma and therefore
people regarded him as Mahatma Gandhi. In the western world political leaders had lavish
lifestyles and the nature of politics was also very similar in the western world. However Gandhi
in his own way of conducting himself had redefined the nature of politics. This is the reason the
western Audience had deep regards for the style of politics that was preached and practiced by
Gandhi.
The Indian people rallied for Gandhian style of politics and the western people drew
inspiration from his ideals of nonviolence or Ahimsa, which was again considered to be Utopian
by many.

4HISTORY ESSAY
Bibliography:
Mondal, A. (2001). Gandhi, Utopianism and the Construction of Colonial Difference.
Interventions, 3(3), 419-438.