Non-Violence Is the Greatest Force - Essay Example

“Non-violence is the greatest force at the disposal of mankind. It is mightier than the mightiest weapon of destruction devised by the ingenuity of man.” This contention by Mahatma Gandhi greatly helped him achieve his goal to free his fellowmen to finally enjoy their independence.

Mahatma Gandhi found himself working in South Africa after his unsuccessful attempt to serve his own country as a lawyer. There, he not only witnessed but experienced the many injustices being done to Indians. The savage punishments he and others received caught the attention of the Prime Minister for negotiation. This motivated him to choose to stage a strike through a unique method of employing non-violence, courage, and truthfulness to seek justice. According to the psychoanalytic concept, Gandhi’s reasoning and choice to fight for their right against the abusive rule of the British is a gateway to survival. The use of civil disobedience in a nonviolent method and religious protests is an avenue not to be killed or annihilated to preserve life otherwise, their dream for justice would be a waste. This survival mode and prevention of destruction demonstrate the two basic drives of psychoanalytic theory.
Gandhi returned to India and set up a new community referred to as an Ashram in Ahmedabad where there should be peace and no violence and to live in truth. He encouraged farming and spinning as a source of food and other physiological needs. Thus, people lived their life happily and enjoyed their freedom. However, violence still exists in other areas of India. He spent most of his time in these places preaching peace and love. Such choices not only reflect Gandhi’s fair and passionate personality but demonstrated the humanistic point of view in Maslow’s hierarchy of needs which explains that man has specific needs in life to be met such as physiological, safety, love, esteem, and self-actualization ( Billings & Stokes, 1987). Gandhi’s spiritual teachings aim to stop public unrest which would finally meet the belonging and love needs of Indians and might finally lead them to aspire for a higher need which is self-esteem and actualization.

Gandhi in his pursuit to unite Hindus and Muslims to live together peacefully had used fasting more than once. When Calcutta was engulfed with riots that resulted in the division of India, Gandhi remained to continue his fasting. Such a motive of his would suppose to make it possible for different religions to cooperate to work together for the sake of peace. However, he died without seeing a positive result of such a dream as he was shot by a fanatic Hindu. The different goals of Gandhi for India and humanity are indicated in the diversity theory. Although Gandhi’s main target is to bring independence to India, he aims to stop injustice, peace, and discrimination.

Murray assumed that individuals are the potential to experience a deficiency of needs resulting in disequilibrium. Such needs are potentialities for action to maintain balance. Murray’s needs applicable to Gandhi include Achievement, Autonomy, Counteraction, Defendance, succulence, Dominance, and Exposition. All of such needs are to counter-act hindrances to Gandhi’s goal under the circumstances he was in. Read More