Duty is, well, what you have to do. But what happens when your sense of duty conflicts with other ideals? In The Story of My Experiments with Truth, Gandhi explains why he participates in war on the side of the British Empire despite his commitment to non-violence.
Since he demands rights from the empire, he feels he's obliged to defend it when called upon to do so, and he thinks this choice might develop in him the capacity to resist war. Besides the war shenanigans, Gandhi also tells us about his and the community's duty to fight for political rights.
Questions About Duty
- Why does Gandhi participate in war? Explain his reasoning. Does it make sense to you? Why or why not?
- What does Gandhi say awakens the community to the duty to fight for political rights? How did he incite people to undertake change?
- How might participation in war develop in someone the ability to resist war? What happens when veterans oppose war—do their arguments have more weight than those of civilians, or can civilians resist war equally well?
Chew on This
Try on an opinion or two, start a debate, or play the devil’s advocate.
An advocate of non-violence shouldn't participate in war at all.
In some cases, an advocate of non-violence should participate in war.