Gujarat BoardEnglish MediumSTD 11 CommerceEconomicsEconomic Thoughts3 Marks
Question
Explain: Gandhiji was an-advocate for simplicity and non-posssessiveness.
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Answer
The Western Economists laid emphasize on endless needs while Gandhiji followed the principle of 'Simple Living & High Thinking'.
Human mind is restless.
The problems of economic life arise owning to greed and race for increasing material possessions by forgetting ethics.
Which is why he propagated the idea of non $-$ possession and consumption for needs and not for greed.
He advised people to restrict their wants and work towards contentment.
Gandhiji was supporter of non possessiveness.
According to him a person should not use and keep more than his needs.
He stated the following reasons for restlessness in human life:
Continuously increasing wants
Use of complex machines
Distribution systems of present times $($which create unequal distribution$).$
According to Gandhiji, the proportion of needs and happiness has direct relationship.
He believed that by limiting the needs instead of usage, one can lead to a happy life.
Because of increase in needs, people start accumulating the things as also authorizing them.
As a result of it, few rich persons can enjoy more things at the cost of large number of poor people.
Gandhiji favored production of things in such a way that one can earn as per his needs.
Advocating simplicity and non$-$possessiveness, he emphasized on accepting the basic thing of 'Nourishment of all and exploitation of none.
' Simple living can avoid dependence on machines and by limiting one's individual needs, needs of everyone can be fulfilled easily.
Because of this he started a movement of using ‘khadi’, woven by 'Charkha '$($spinning wheel$),$ against the cloth prepared in mills. Real happiness live in simple living.
For this, he emphasized on limiting his needs.
According to Gandhiji, if everyone follows non$-$possessiveness then other needy people of the society can get necessity products in sufficient manner and welfare increases in whole humanity.
Explaining the relationship between wants and welfare, Gandhiji stated that welfare increases when wants are limited.
The main reason for unsatisfaction is absence of satisfaction of needs.
So, mental peace and happiness increases with limited needs.
In short, Gandhiji advocated simplicity and non$-$possessiveness for increasing human happiness.
Simple living is the main base of ‘Gandhisim' by which dependence on machines can be avoided.
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