Building a peaceful world and the calling of practical spirituality

Mahatma Gandhi and Albert Schweitzer

Predrag Cicovacki

pp. 385-406

in: Ananta K. Giri (ed), Practical spirituality and human development, Basingstoke, Palgrave Macmillan, 2018

Abstract

The author argues that, despite their differences, Gandhi and Schweitzer were united in their fundamental conviction that the only path to a stable and genuine peace in the world is the path of spiritual development. They both conceived this development in terms of the simplicity of lifestyle, the dedication to the pursuit of truth, and the unity of theory and practice. Schweitzer was famous for saying: "My life is my argument," while Gandhi entitled his autobiography: "My experiments with truth." Gandhi and Schweitzer both insisted that the central difficulty in establishing a positive conception of peace consists not so much in the absence of fighting among people but more importantly in the presence of peace within people. These two aspects are interrelated, but our duty is primarily to develop peace within ourselves. This is the task of spirit, of the spiritual development of every individual. Gandhi and Schweitzer hoped that from a spiritual individual, the spirit of peace will then spread toward the entire community and toward the world as a whole.

Cited authors

Schweitzer Albert

Gandhi Mahatma