--- In [EMAIL PROTECTED], Venantius <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
>
>With due respect to Western Civilization; Gandhi's
>response, simple as it may seem to the prig Dinesh -- was an acerbic
>(as in biting) criticism of western civilization from the man of
>Swadeshi.
>
............................................................
>
>Either Dinesh totally missed tthe meaning in Gandhis succint
>statement or he truly believes that aside from himself most people
>are dolts.
>
Venantius is absolutely right here. Gandhi was veritably hostile in
his views about western civilization. I give below an excerpt from a
chapter in Gandhi's 1908 write-up called "Hind Swaraj". The views he
expresses in it would make many Indians cringe, as they do me, let
alone any westerners. Perhaps this point aptly illustrates the lack
of scholarship on Dinesh D'Souza's part that Margaret Mascarenhas
complains about. I wonder whether D'Souza has ever tried to read
anything Mahatma Gandhi has written on western civilization or
colonialism. Quoting sound bites is often a mark of intellectual
laziness.
Cheers,
Santosh
*********************************************************************
EXCERPT FROM A CHAPTER FROM MOHANDAS GANDHI'S "HIND SWARAJ" (1908)
Those who are intoxicated by modern civilization are not likely to
write against it. Their care will be to find out facts and arguments
in support of it, and this they do unconsciously, believing it to be
true. A man whilst he is dreaming, believes in his dream. He is
undeceived only when he is awakened from his sleep. A man laboring
under the bane of civilization is like a dreaming man. What we
usually read are the works of defenders of modern civilization, which
undoubtedly claims among its votaries very brilliant and even some
very good men. Their writings hypnotize us. And so, one by one, we
are drawn into the vortex.
.........
Let us first consider what state of things is described by the
word "civilization". Its true test lies in the fact that people
living in it make bodily welfare the object of life. We will take
some examples. The people of Europe today live in better-built houses
than they did a hundred years ago. This is considered an emblem of
civilization, and this is also a matter to promote bodily happiness.
Formerly, they wore skins, and used spears as their weapons. Now,
they wear long trousers, and, for embellishing their bodies, they
wear a variety of clothing, and, instead of spears, they carry with
them revolvers containing five or more chambers. If people of a
certain country, who have hitherto not been in the habit of wearing
much clothing, boots, etc., adopt European clothing, they are
supposed to have become civilized out of savagery. Formerly, in
Europe, people ploughed their lands mainly by manual labor. Now, one
man can plough a vast tract by means of steam engines and can thus
amass great wealth. This is called a sign of civilization. Formerly,
only a few men wrote valuable books. Now, anybody writes and prints
anything he likes and poisons people's minds. Formerly, men traveled
in wagons. Now, they fly through the air in trains at the rate of
four hundred and more miles per day. This is considered the height of
civilization. It has been stated that, as men progress, they shall be
able to travel in airship and reach any part of the world in a few
hours. Men will not need the use of their hands and feet. They will
press a button, and they will have their clothing by their side. They
will press another button, and they will have their newspaper. A
third, and a motor-car will be in waiting for them. They will have a
variety of delicately dished up food. Everything will be done by
machinery. Formerly, when people wanted to fight with one another,
they measured between them their bodily strength; now it is possible
to take away thousands of lives by one man working behind a gun from
a hill. This is civilization. Formerly, men worked in the open air
only as much as they liked. Now thousands of workmen meet together
and for the sake of maintenance work in factories or mines. Their
condition is worse than that of beasts. They are obliged to work, at
the risk of their lives, at most dangerous occupations, for the sake
of millionaires. Formerly, men were made slaves under physical
compulsion. Now they are enslaved by temptation of money and of the
luxuries that money can buy. There are now diseases of which people
never dreamt before, and an army of doctors is engaged in finding out
their cures, and so hospitals have increased. This is a test of
civilization. Formerly, special messengers were required and much
expense was incurred in order to send letters; today, anyone can
abuse his fellow by means of a letter for one penny. True, at the
same cost, one can send one's thanks also. Formerly, people had two
or three meals consisting of home-made bread and vegetables; now,
they require something to eat every two hours so that they have
hardly leisure for anything else. What more need I say'? All this you
can ascertain from several authoritative books. These are all true
tests of civilization. And if anyone speaks to the contrary, know
that he is ignorant. This civilization takes note neither of morality
nor of religion. Its votaries calmly state that their business is not
to teach religion. Some even consider it to be a superstitious
growth. Others put on the cloak of religion, and prate about
morality. But, after twenty years' experience, I have come to the
conclusion that immorality is often taught in the name of morality.
Even a child can understand that in all I aye described above there
can be no inducement to morality. Civilization seeks to increase
bodily comforts, and it fails miserably even in doing so.
This civilization is irreligion, and it has taken such a hold on the
people in Europe that those who are in it appear to be half mad. They
lack real physical strength or courage. They keep up their energy by
intoxication. They can hardly be happy in solitude. Women, who should
be the queens of households, wander in the streets or they slave away
in factories. For the sake of a pittance, half a million women in
England alone are laboring under trying circumstances in factories or
similar institutions. This awful act is one of the causes of the
daily growing suffragette movement.
This civilization is such that one has only to be patient and it will
be self-destroyed. According to the teaching of Mohammed this would
be considered a Satanic Civilization. Hinduism calls it a Black Age.
I cannot give you an adequate conception of it. It is eating into the
vitals of the English nation. It must be shunned. Parliaments are
really emblems of slavery. If you will sufficiently think over this,
you will entertain the same opinion and cease to blame the English.
They rather deserve our sympathy. They are a shrewd nation and I
therefore believe that they will cast off the evil. They are
enterprising and industrious, and their mode of thought is not
inherently immoral. Neither are they bad at heart. I therefore
respect them. Civilization is not an incurable disease, but it should
never be forgotten that the English are at present afflicted by it.
-M. K. Gandhi
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-W-E-B---S-I-T-E-=-=-=
To Subscribe/Unsubscribe from GoaNet | http://www.goacom.com/goanet
===================================================================
For (un)subscribing or for help, Contact: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Dont want so many e=mails? Join GoaNet-Digest instead !
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Help support non-commercial projects in Goa by advertizing!!
* * * *
Your ad here !!
