Spectrum of left Part 3 - Gandhi and Marx debate

Gandhi and Karl Marx: A New Perspective

​Based on the Essays of Akeel Bilgrami

​It is a widely accepted view that Mahatma Gandhi and Karl Marx represent polar opposites. Common understanding suggests that Marxist scholars and Gandhians occupy entirely different worlds, with many many adamant that there is no possible point of convergence between the two.

​However, according to Akeel Bilgrami, a philosopher and professor at Columbia University, there are profound areas of agreement. While they may appear to have no similarities on the surface, Bilgrami establishes a connection through specific philosophical interpretations.

​The Leftist Critique of Gandhi

​Left-wing scholars, both in India and globally, have historically leveled harsh criticisms against Gandhi. Yet, there is a growing insistence that a serious, original "left-leaning" essence should be extracted from his writings and actions to foster new debates.

​Bilgrami acknowledges that Gandhi did not use the traditional framework of "class" and, like many critics, notes that Gandhi’s flow of thought was not always uniform. Gandhi often provided opinions tailored to the political exigencies of the moment, only to refine or rephrase them later after deeper reflection. Bilgrami points out that while the historian Irfan Habib was among the first Marxists to view Gandhi in a historically positive light, Bilgrami himself is among the first to attempt a philosophically positive interpretation of Gandhi from a leftist perspective.

​Alienation and the Critique of Capitalism

​In his commentary, “Gandhi as a Philosopher,” Bilgrami argues that Marx and Gandhi share an "epistemological world." Both thinkers recognized how capitalism separates human beings from nature, leading toward a path of destruction. Central to this shared vision is the phenomenon of alienation.

​In his 1909 work, Hind Swaraj, Gandhi argued that India’s position was similar to that of "pre-modern" Britain. He advocated against India following the same capitalist trajectory that the West had taken into the modern era. Similarly, when Karl Marx discussed revolutionary changes in Russia and India, he eventually suggested that it was not strictly necessary for these nations to follow the exact same capitalist path toward revolution that Britain had undergone.

​Beyond Liberalism: Liberty and Equality

​Bilgrami reminds us that contemporary "modern" ideals—such as individual liberty and equality—are often in conflict with one another. Interestingly, neither Gandhi nor Marx viewed these as primary goals.

• ​Marx rejected the liberal concepts of freedom and equality as "bourgeois" ideas that masked underlying exploitation.

• ​Gandhi frequently bypassed these liberal mantras, giving them little importance in his core philosophy.

​Bilgrami explains that both thinkers rejected these concepts because of their contradictory nature within a capitalist framework. Instead, Bilgrami argues that the pursuit of an "unalienated life" is the true path forward. He suggests that the traditional focus on liberty and equality has become outdated and that we must formulate new ideas to improve human society. Gandhi’s primary objection was that the focus of left-wing thought often remained fixated on the economic structures of capitalism left behind by colonial rule, rather than addressing the deeper social and existential issues of the human condition.