Gandhi’s Wisdom: A New Book
About this book
This book examines what Gandhian thought contributes to the conceptualization of wisdom and its application in the 21st Century. It draws together leading international researchers and practitioners to combine an in-depth understanding of Gandhi’s philosophy with the latest research from psychology and allied social sciences. Beginning with an overview of wisdom in the domain of scientific research and as it is understood in our everyday life, the book’s editors further call attention to key cross-cultural issues limiting its current scope. Amongst the topics explored are Gandhi’s silence, fasting, vows, self-efficacy, self-control, and more, illustrating what he offers not only to the study of wisdom within psychology, but across a broad range of disciplines and professional enterprises. It is invaluable to students and scholars of Gandhian studies, the psychology of wisdom, management, and peace psychology; as well to readers with a general interest in the application of Gandhi’s wisdom today.
Contents:
Part I--Gandhi and the Psychology of Wisdom
1. Gandhi’s Truth as a Precursor of Authentic Wisdom
V. K. Kool and Rita Agrawal
2 Milgram’s Lost Gandhi: Whither Gandhi’s Wisdom of Nonviolence in the Psychology of Wisdom
V. K. Kool and Rita Agrawal
Part II Gandhi’s Wisdom in the Interdisciplinary Perspective
3. On Seeking Wisdom in Gandhi’s Silence
V. K. Kool and Rita Agrawal
4. Nonviolent Self-Efficacy for Social Transformation and Health: Theoretical and Empirical Bases
Doug Oman
5. Significance of Gandhi’s Fasts: An Interdisciplinary Perspective
John S. Moolakkattu
6. Self- and Other-Purification as Gandhi’s Way of Un-othering
R. C. Tripathi and Alka Bajpai
7. Gandhi’s Theory of Trusteeship and Its Influence on Employee Ownership in the Twenty-First Century
Graeme Nuttall
8. Calling Orientation as Sustainability in Gandhi’s Wisdom
Nachiketa Tripathi and Chayan Poddar
9. The Wisdom of Gandhi: Achieving a Sustainable Economy
Tej Prakash
10. Turing Testing and Gandhi’s Wisdom in the Era of Cognitive Computing
V. K. Kool and Rita Agrawal
11. Situational Moral Practice: Resisting Authority in Stanley Milgram’s “Obedience” Experiment
Jason Turowetz and Matthew M. Hollander
12. The Primacy of Intention and the Duty to Truth: A Gandhi-Inspired Argument for Retranslating Himsā and Ahimsā
Todd Davies
Part III On Living as Gandhi
13. My Journey to Gandhi
Michael Nagler
14. From Past to Present: Gandhi’s Relevance for Today
David Cortright
15. Gandhi’s Contribution to a War Free World: My Inspiration
George Paxton
Part IV The Interminable Wisdom of Gandhi
16. Gandhi’s Wisdom in the Twenty-First Century and Beyond
V. K. Kool and Rita Agrawal
About the authors
V. K. Kool is Emeritus Professor of Psychology, SUNY Polytechnic Institute, USA. He is the author of nine books, including The Psychology of Nonviolence and Aggression (2008) and co-editor with Rita Agrawal of Gandhi and the Psychology of Nonviolence, Volumes 1 and 2 (2020). Dr. Kool is recipient of three Fulbright awards, was a member of the Editorial Board of APA’s Peace Division journal, Peace and Conflict, for seven years.
Rita Agrawal is Director and Professor at the Faculty of Management and Technology, Harish Chandra Post Graduate College, India. She is the author of seven books, including Stress in Life and at Work (2001), and Psychology of Technology (2016 with Kool), and has been the recipient of both national and international awards.