Hind Swaraj: Passive Resistance (Notes)
Context and author
Gandhi's work: Hind Swaraj or Indian Home Rule by Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi (1869–1948)
Gandhi, known as Mahatma (Great Soul), was a spiritual leader of India’s 20th-century independence movement and a key proponent of non-violent resistance.
Hind Swaraj was written in Gujarati in 1908 as part of a larger work; published in Indian Opinion while Gandhi was in South Africa.
Purpose: respond to anarchists advocating violent resistance; Gandhi argued violence is not a remedy for India’s ills and that civilization requires a higher weapon of self-protection. He noted that the Satyagraha of South Africa was still in its infancy but had developed enough to speak with confidence.
Important quote attributed to Gandhi about Hind Swaraj: it teaches the gospel of love in place of hate, replaces violence with self-sacrifice, and pits soul-force against brute force.
Publication and reception
The British colonial government banned Hind Swaraj in India; Gandhi translated it into English for wider distribution, gaining notoriety.
The work condemns “modern civilization” and urges India to reject the Western way of life, while acknowledging that India is not yet ready for self-rule in 1908.
Form and influence
The piece is written as a dialogue between a newspaper “Reader” (the audience) and an “Editor” (reflecting Gandhi’s own views).
Style echoes ancient Greek works (e.g., Plato) with question-and-answer dialogue; Gandhi is the sole author.
Guiding discussion questions (to keep in mind while reading):
What is history, according to the Editor? What does history include or exclude?
What is passive resistance? How do soul-force and body-force differ?
Why, per the Editor, is brute-force contrary to passive resistance?
Why is passive resistance argued to be a specialty of India? What example supports this?
How does an individual become a passive resister? What practices and attributes are required, and why? How could failing to observe these practices undermine passive resistance?
The form of Hind Swaraj: Reader and Editor dialogue
The Reader asks questions about history, passive resistance, and the nature of soul-force.
The Editor answers, presenting Gandhi’s arguments about nonviolence, self-rule, and moral discipline.
Nature of the discussion
Emphasizes that soul-force is natural and not recorded in conventional history, which tends to focus on wars and rulers.
Argues that history measures interruptions of the course of nature, not the persistent, quiet efficacy of love and truth.
Key concepts: history, passive resistance, and soul-force
What is history? (Editor’s view)
Gujarati meaning of history: “it so happened.”
If history is defined as events of kings and emperors, then it fails to record soul-force or passive resistance.
History tends to celebrate wars; many peaceful or intimate moral unfoldings go unrecorded.
Example: the fate of natives like Australians under invaders is cited to illustrate that the force of arms often leads to elimination, whereas soul-force endures and works in quiet, everyday life.
Soul-force (truth-force) vs brute force
Soul-force is the force of love, truth, and conscience; it is a universal, natural force that operates through non-violent means.
Brute force (body force) seeks to compel others by physical power or coercion.
The Editor asserts that soul-force is continuous and evidenced by peace among nations and by resolution within families and communities, even though it may not appear in traditional historical records.
The central idea: passive resistance as a method of securing rights
Passive resistance = personal suffering in service of conscience; the reverse of resistance by arms.
If one disobeys an unjust law and accepts the penalty, one uses soul-force; using violence to repeal a law is body-force.
The ultimate aim is to achieve justice without causing suffering to others; the person bearing the burden suffers for the right, not others.
Strength of this method lies in sacrifice of self rather than sacrifice of others.
The ethics and logic of law, obedience, and governance
The status of laws and obedience
Obeying laws that clash with conscience is seen as unmanly and enslaving; laws are not inherently binding simply because they are laws.
Real law-abiding behavior means not obeying unjust laws and willingly bearing penalties, rather than complying with every command.
The Editor argues that the notion of obeying majorities is superstition; reform often arises from minority action in opposition to majority rule.
The role of government and law in a free society
A true passive resister will not support laws that conflict with conscience, even if it leads to punishment.
The dialogue stresses that cooperation with a government should be conditional on justice and moral rightness, not mere obedience to authority.
The paradox of extremism
Extremists (advocates of brute force) claim to obey laws but when they come to power they expect others to obey their laws: a contradiction that reveals the limits of brute force as a political strategy.
The Editor implies that a passive resister remains consistent in principle, regardless of who holds power.
How passive resistance works in practice
Core mechanism
Passive resistance secures rights by personal suffering rather than by coercion of others.
It requires sacrifice of self; the person is willing to endure penalties rather than inflict suffering on others.
When is passive resistance used?
When government laws are unjust or contrary to conscience.
The cost is borne by the resister, not by others; the aim is to demonstrate the injustice of the law and to awaken moral courage in the community.
The relationship to fear and courage
Fearlessness is essential: the resister must be willing to face punishment, bodily injury, or death without compromising conscience.
Courage is contrasted with brutality; the true warrior is one who confronts death with a calm, moral purpose rather than a desire to kill.
The scope of nonviolent action
It is applicable to individuals and communities, not limited to a political mass movement; it can begin with one person and extend to larger groups.
The wordless, non-violent stance is described as an “all-sided sword” that blesses both the user and those against whom it is used.
The role of non-cooperation
The rejection of unjust laws is framed as a form of non-cooperation with the state rather than violent resistance.
Examples cited include villagers withdrawing their cooperation from a prince’s command, which led to the command being withdrawn and apologized for.
The four pillars of a passive resister (the discipline required)
The four attributes required to become a passive resister
Chastity (autonomous control of desire)
Essential for mental firmness; unchastity weakens stamina and courage.
Practical question: for married individuals, chastity does not necessarily preclude family life; the text discusses managing rights and duties within marriage but emphasizes the primacy of self-control.
Poverty (detachment from wealth and material indulgence)
A passive resister must be prepared to lose money rather than give up the resistance.
Material ambition is seen as incompatible with soul-force; wealth can corrupt or undermine resolve.
Truth (commitment to truthfulness at all costs)
Truth must be followed even in extreme situations; lying is unacceptable when it compromises trust or integrity.
The question of lying to save a life is acknowledged but rejected as a dilemma only for those who justify lying; true followers of truth do not face such a dilemma.
Fearlessness (courage in the face of danger, deprivation, and death)
Fearlessness is indispensable; without it the other attributes lose their effectiveness.
Fearlessness enables a person to confront even a cannon with a steadfast moral purpose.
Body and mind training
Physical and mental conditioning are both necessary; the mind must be trained to govern the body and its impulses.
The text emphasizes that the body should not be pampered; physical weakness undermines the capacity for self-control.
Training is not limited to those with natural strength; both the strong and the weak can become passive resisters with proper discipline.
Practical guidance on how to cultivate these attributes
The text notes that a fourteen-year-old can become a passive resister, as can the sick; even those in good health may fail if they lack discipline.
The path includes ethical choices in personal life (e.g., chastity, poverty) and the willingness to endure consequences without compromising conscience.
The relationship to public life and governance
The discipline is not only for individuals but for the nation: real Home Rule occurs when passive resistance is the guiding force of the people.
A strong, trained populace using soul-force can translate personal virtue into collective political power.
The role of women, family life, and societal implications
Household and family dimensions
The discipline of chastity and self-control extends to married life and family duties; deliberate choices may be necessary to maintain personal integrity while fulfilling familial roles.
Social and national implications
The moral formation of individuals contributes to national character and underpins the possibility of true self-rule.
Passive resistance as a social practice aims to create a culture in which justice and conscience prevail over expedient obedience to unjust laws.
Historical evidence, examples, and hypothetical scenarios
Evidence in history
The Editor concedes that there is little observable “history” of large-scale soul-force movements, since history often records conflicts, wars, and rulers rather than quiet moral transformations.
Nonetheless, soul-force is evidenced in ordinary life: small personal reconciliations, family harmony, and peaceful coexistence among nations.
Practical example: village obedience and the prince
An instance is recounted where villagers ceased to cooperate with a prince’s command, leading the prince to apologize and withdraw the command.
The Australian example and the fate of natives
Gandhi compares the fate of native Australian populations under invaders with the enduring presence of soul-force, suggesting that those who wield force without moral restraint face annihilation while love and truth endure.
The role of fearlessness in action
The editor asserts that those who are truly fearless will neither fear death nor the possibility of punishment; this is essential to the practice of passive resistance.
Relationship to non-violence as a strategic and ethical choice
Passive resistance is presented as a superior form of political action because it deprives the oppressor of the moral legitimacy to cause harm while preserving the humanity of the resister.
Questions to reflect on after reading Hind Swaraj (from the text)
How does Gandhi redefine history in contrast to conventional historiography? What is included or excluded under his definition?
What distinguishes passive resistance from brute force? Why is soul-force considered superior?
Why does brute-force conflict with passive resistance in theory and practice?
Is passive resistance a uniquely Indian practice, according to the Editor? What example does he use to support this claim?
How does one become a passive resister? What are the essential practices and virtues, and why are they necessary? How could neglecting these lead to failure?
Connections to broader themes and real-world relevance
Non-violence as a strategic and ethical framework
Gandhi frames non-violence not merely as a tactic but as a way of life grounded in truth and conscience.
Self-rule (Swaraj) and moral self-sufficiency
Real Home Rule requires citizens who are disciplined, fearless, truthful, and detached from wealth; political independence follows from personal discipline.
Philosophical and ethical implications
The text challenges the notion that law and majority rule justify coercive power, arguing for the primacy of moral autonomy and conscience.
Practical implications for contemporary social movements
Demonstrates how nonviolent, non-cooperative action can challenge unjust laws without inflicting harm on others.
Limitations and critiques to consider
The practicality of sustained passive resistance in various political contexts; the balance between moral absolutism and pragmatic politics; the potential risks to individuals in oppressive regimes.
(Note: All numerical references in the transcript are included where relevant: Gandhi’s lifespan 1869–1948; Hind Swaraj written in 1908; reference to the Satyagraha being two years old at the time; the discussion of a lad of 14 years; and the four attributes (presented as 4 attributes).)