DIALECTICS OF POLITICS AND ETHICS IN GANDHI AND TAYLOR
Connections, Dilemmas, and Convergences
Keywords:
politics, ethics, religion, secularism, moralityAbstract
The relationship between politics and ethics can be seen taking new turns at the dawn of nation states around the world. Independent nations could be seen as distancing themselves from their initial affinity to religions and ethical principles originating from such religions, to a secular entity proposing its own ‘constitutional laws’ for the well-being of their citizens. This paper analyzes the dilemma of ‘secular politics and ethics’ in their failure to meet the metaphysical aspirations of human self. Here, the demand for the justification of pluralism or multiculturalism is acknowledged. However, deep consciousness of one’s ‘religious identity’ seems constantly challenging such ‘plural assertions.’ I read Charles Taylor and re-read Gandhi to shed some lights on the importance and relevance of ‘authentic politics’ which, I argue inevitably intertwined with ‘ethics’ and ‘religion.’ This was true in the case of both Gandhi, who had an ‘experiential approach’ to religion, politics and ethics and Taylor, who had a ‘theoretical approach’ to the same spheres of life.
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