Integrity Score 312
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“A time is coming when those who are in the mad rush today of multiplying their wants, vainly thinking that they add to the real substance, real knowledge of the world, will retrace their steps and say: ‘What have we done?’” - Mahatma Gandhi
I argue in an article in The Hindu-
The focus on sustainability in recent times is giving Gandhi his rightful place in the capitalism versus sustainability debate. Gandhian trusteeship model could break the impasse between Marxist degrowth and free market environmentalism camps.
Here is a prerequisite-
To begin with, since truth infinitely exceeds the finite grasp of any one human being, no individual should claim that they, and only they, have access to the undiluted truth. Thus, we must undertake the painful surgery of critically interrogating our own presuppositions, vantage points, and values — this exercise of epistemic humility is concurrent with walking a mile in the other person’s shoes and trying to see the world as they see it. Such humility requires the cultivation of ahimsa — namely, to resist the impulse to strike out at those with whom we disagree. Ahimsa is not simply a passive distancing of oneself from instances of violence, but an active concern for the welfare of others. Therefore, a Gandhian would appeal to the (presently dormant) moral sensibilities of capitalists, and seek to generate in them a “heart-transformation” through which they would hold in trust their earnings and direct their wealth towards social welfare.
A new age capitalism
This is where popularising Gandhian thoughts will play a critical role. One of the biggest contributions of Gandhi to politics and public life is the introduction of morality as a non-negotiable instrument in day-to-day conduct. This moral sense is largely missing in business decisions which only operate with the quantitative idioms of cost-benefit analyses.
In discussions on the future of capitalism, it is time we adopt ethics as a central business objective, and make it the core concern of a business with metrics that can be tracked.
Building a market place for empathy and integrity.