Difference between Marxism and Gandhism

Gandhism and Marxism are compelling theories about politics and other topics. These two theories shared both similarities and differences. Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, commonly referred to as Gandhiji, was a well-known Indian patriot and leader. His famous nonviolent philosophy against the British anti-colonialism movement has inspired many leaders around the world. Gandhi's ideology is based on a set of religious and social ideas that he adopted and developed. Karl Heinrich Marx, also known as Karl Marx, was a philosopher from Germany. Marxism is a critical theory of politics, economics, and society. His theories helped to identify and resolve the class conflict.

Difference between Marxism and Gandhism

• Ideal State Conception

  • Gandhiji and Karl Marx aimed for a classless and stateless society in their ideal state conceptions. Although their goals were similar, how they went about achieving them differed. Marx took a violent approach to achieving this goal, whereas Gandhiji believed that nonviolence could be a weapon to end the problem.

     

• Ends and Means:

  • Gandhiji was never in favour of using violence to achieve a goal. To achieve freedom, he and his followers took the nonviolent route. 
    Marxists did not believe in nonviolence. Marxists believed that in order to eliminate the parliamentary and socialist problems, a revolution must be brought about through violence.

     

• Capitalism:

  • Gandhism and Marxism were both anti-capitalist ideologies. According to Gandhiji, capitalism could be overthrown by decentralising the economy, such as encouraging cottage industries. He did not advocate violence to end capitalism. 
    Karl Marx, the father of socialism, was a staunch opponent of capitalism. He believed that violence could be used to end this condition in Europe. He wanted to revolt against the government in order to destroy the roots and branches of capitalism.

     

• Democracy vs Dictatorship:

  • Gandhiji believed strongly in democracy, even though he thought democracy in Western countries was incomplete. His suggestion was to decentralise power. He favoured state welfare and opposed autocracy or dictatorship. 
    Marxists believed in the ideology of the Proletarian Dictatorship. Marxists believe that workers should have the majority of power. The Communist Party used these powers in China, the USSR, and other Eastern European countries where communism is the dominant ideology. 
    Gandhiji supported individual liberty. He believed that love had the power to save humanity.

     

• Spiritualism vs Materialism:

  • Mahatma Gandhi was a spiritualist. He understood the deeper impact of religion. He was not particularly attached to luxuries or materialism. He always believed humans should have minimum needs. 
    In contrast, Karl Marx did not believe in God. He believed that religious beliefs compelled workers to revolt against capitalism. He believed in materialism. He supported the idea by emphasising the importance of economic factors and providing both economic and materialistic interpretations.

     

Frequently Asked Questions on the Difference between Marxism and Gandhism

Q1: What exactly do you mean by the 'Sarvodaya' concept? 
Gandhiji introduced the concept of 'Sarvodaya'. The concept was developed to promote the welfare of all classes and sections of society, rather than just one. He was inspired to introduce this concept by John Ruskin's book "Unto This Last". 

Q2: Name the Communist Manifesto written by Karl Marx. 
Karl Marx's communist manifesto read, "Let the capitalists tremble at the Communist revolution." Karl Marx's manifesto emphasised that a socialist revolution cannot be achieved without violence. 

Q3: What was Gandhiji's view on village Panchayats? 
Gandhiji believed in democracy. As a result, he recognised the importance of delegating more power to village Panchayats in order to provide complete autonomy to villages.