Introduction & Syllabus Context

Gandhian ethics is the second-highest PYQ topic in Paper II Unit I Ethics (after Moral Thinkers #63), appearing in 4 out of 5 exam years with an average of 5.4 marks per year. The 2021 PYQ asked: "Gandhian ethics: means and ends" (10 marks); 2023 PYQ asked: "Gandhi's ideal of Swaraj" (5 marks) and "Ahimsa Paramo Dharma" (2 marks). This is a reliable, examinable topic.

Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi (1869–1948) was not a systematic philosopher — he was a practitioner who theorised through action. His ethical framework emerged from experiments (his autobiography is titled "The Story of My Experiments with Truth") in South Africa and India. Key influences: Leo Tolstoy (Christian anarchism), John Ruskin (Unto This Last), Henry David Thoreau (Civil Disobedience), and the Bhagavad Gita (Anasaktiyoga).

Gandhi's ethics are India-specific in practice (scope: india) but draw from universal philosophical traditions — making them relevant for both Indian administrative ethics exams and comparative ethics discussions.