Often we know the basics of history's social justice movements—what legislation was passed, the names of leaders—but less often do we see behind the scenes. In his autobiography The Story of My Experiments with Truth, Gandhi shows us what made him able to lead India to independence.
His spiritual training was the source of his power, and he also developed strong views on how public workers should handle money and conduct their lives. Take a look at these quotations to understand Gandhi's advice on making the world a better place.
Questions About Justice and Judgment
- How should activists handle money, according to Gandhi? What advantages might his methods give? What disadvantages?
- What did Gandhi think about social movements and the use of violence? Does history bear him out? Or, might the actions of militants give more leverage to those who advocate non-violence?
- What did Gandhi give up in life in order to pursue public work? Are these good sacrifices to make? Why or why not?
Chew on This
Try on an opinion or two, start a debate, or play the devil’s advocate.
Money tends to corrupt social movements, so activists shouldn't try to store it up.
Those conducting public movements need to collect as much money as possible to succeed.