Mahatma Gandhi and Sri Aurobindo

This book presents the first systematic critical exploration of the philosophical and political thoughts of Mahatma Gandhi and Sri Aurobindo, both pioneers of modern Indian thought. Bringing together experts from across the world, the volume examines the thoughts, ideas, actions, lives and experiments of Mahatma Gandhi and Sri Aurobindo on themes such as radical politics and human agency; ideals of human unity; social practices and citizenship; horizons of sustainable development and climate change; inclusive freedom; conceptions of swaraj; interpretations of texts; Sri Aurobindo?s views on Indian culture; integral yoga; transformative leadership; Anthropocene and alternative planetary futures. The book discusses the contemporary legacies and works of the two influential thinkers. It offers insights into historical, philosophical, theoretical, literary and sociological questions that establish the need for transdisciplinary dialogues and the relevance of their visions towards future evolution.

This book will be useful to scholars and researchers of political science, Indian political thought, comparative politics, philosophy, Indian philosophy, sociology, anthropology, modern Indian history, peace studies, cultural studies, religious studies and South Asian studies.

Mahatma Gandhi and Sri Aurobindo: An Introduction and Invitation to the Adventure of Consciousness and World Transformations Part I: Life, History and Visions 1. Gandhi, Aurobindo and the Idea of Swaraj as ‘Inclusive Freedom’ 2. A Meeting That Never Happened: Unheard Dialogues Between Sri Aurobindo and Mahatma Gandhi 3. Gandhi, Sri Aurobindo and the Second World War 4. Gandhi and Sri Aurobindo: Reconstruction and Reformation of Philosophical Traditions Part II: Reinterpretations of Indian and World Traditions and a New Hermeneutics of Transformations 5. Sundry Freedom Fighters: Mahatma Gandhi, Sri Aurobindo and Rudolf Steiner 6. Interpretation of the Bhagavadgītā during the Freedom Struggle in India and the Theory of Revision of Institutions: Understanding Gandhi and Sri Aurobindo 7. Interpreting the Bhagavadgita: Mahatma Gandhi and Sri Aurobindo 8. India and the West in Encounter: Gandhi’s Hind Swaraj and Sri Aurobindo’s Essays on Indian Culture 9. Re-Reading Ananthamurthy’s Samskara: Perspectives from Mahatma Gandhi and Sri Aurobindo 10. The Languages of Being Indian: Sri Aurobindo and Mahatma Gandhi Part III: Mahatma Gandhi, Sri Aurobindo and Contemporary Challenges of Integral Development, Social Transformations and Planetary Realizations 11. Gandhi, Sri Aurobindo and a New Social Vision 12. Gandhi, Sri Aurobindo and New Horizons of Sustainable Development 13. Towards Spirituality of the Environment: A Perspective from Sri Aurobindo and Gandhi 14. Social Practices of Citizenship: Gandhi and Sri Aurobindo 15. Ideal of Human Unity: Evolution of Human Society in Sri Aurobindo’s Philosophy and Glimpses from Mahatma Gandhi’s Thinking 16. Decolonialization and the Anthropocene: A Trajectory of Reflections on Radical Politics and Human Agency from Gandhi and Aurobindo to Bruno Latour. Afterwords: Gandhi and Sri Aurobindo: Some Further Reflections. Gandhi and Aurobindo in the Age of Corona: Reflections on Transformative Leadership, End Times, and the Kali Yuga

Ananta Kumar Giri is Professor at Madras Institute of Development Studies, Chennai, India.