The Moral of the Story: Some Authorities

One of the focuses of this class has been on elucidating how literature can be used as a guiding force for our action. This is best embodied in Gandhi's Hind Swaraj, where, on the final pages, Gandhi compiles a list of authors entitled "Some Authorities". In this, he lists several works that have been an inspiration for his ideas and for his actions. For example, many of his ideas are taken almost directly from the works of Henry David Thoreau (even to the point of using extremely similar language when discussing issues associated with technology). This is but one example of literature being applied to one's life in order to discern right action. A similar notion arises in Tolstoy's Hadji Murat, where Murat often relies on folk songs and poems in order to discern his actions. This is best exemplified in the song about Hamzat which inspires Hadji Murat and his men to take up their last stand. This creates a problem, however, in that Gandhi and Murat discern radically different courses of action through this method. Murat is extremely violent and vengeful, whereas Gandhi advocates passive non-resistance in all cases. This problem is explored elsewhere.