The end result of Swaraj remains key to Satyagraha, however. Just as Kant and Mills championed the rights of individuals over the rights of governments, so too did Gandhi. Gandhi's philosophy was never intended to create a political state or states on the subcontinent. Instead Gandhi sought to actually and symbolically liberate the individual Indian from an oppressive state of being. The average Indian was beholden both to the Raj and also to a socially stratified, outmoded society that hindered religious and personal freedom.
Thus, liberation was to be experienced not only in the liberation of Indians from colonial rule but also in the liberation of Indians from the caste system. To Gandhi, colonialism poisoned the individual spirit and prohibited personal liberty. Overthrowing colonialism could never have depended on Duragraha, political protest borne of anger. Satyagraha is the only ethical means to accomplish the goals of liberation. Gandhi was also keenly aware of the problems that existed independently of the British Raj such as the mistreatment of Dalit/untouchable caste members. Any individual who is a slave to the state must be liberated according to the theory of Swaraj.
An enlightened individual is one who refrains from violent thoughts, words, and deeds. Abstinence from harmful behaviors is an ethical practice that stems from an inherent sense of personal rights and duties. To abstain from violence begrudgingly serves no purpose because the act lacks moral meaning. Swaraj implies total freedom of thought to the point where the individual makes the decision to act peacefully without being coerced. Gandhi would encourage the Persian people to allow their social revolution to continue organically and without animosity towards the clerics or even towards the established government. Kant and John Stuart Mills would agree with Gandhi that a state comprised of free-thinking individuals is an ideal one. Satyagraha and Swaraj are both the means and the ultimate objective.
Gandhi is one of the most celebrated and respected figures in recent history, noted for his strong religious beliefs and spirituality, his accomplishments in social theory, as well as his achievement in gaining India's independence from Britain during the Twentieth Century. In addition, Gandhi strived for peace and nonviolent means to end conflict, and many movements of the past century, including the Civil Rights Movement and the antiapartheid campaign of
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