8/10/2019 Unto This Last Gandhi Paraphrase http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/unto-this-last-gandhi-paraphrase 1/25 Unto This Last — M. K. Gandhi. Unto This Last written by Mohandas K. Gandhi, translated by Valji Govindji Desai 190. Translation !ro" the G#jarati. This is a re$rint o! the edition e%&e$t !or a !ew verbal alterations s#''ested by "y !riend (hri Verrier )lwin who was 'ood eno#'h to 'o thro#'h the translation at "y re*#est. (ee also the ori'inal in G#jarati+ સરદય ontents -ntrod#&tion Translators /ote To The eader -ntrod#&tion )ssay - + The oots o! Tr#th )ssay -- + The Veins o! ealth )ssay --- + )ven23anded 4#sti&e )ssay -V+ 5d valore" on&l#sion -ntrod#&tion Translators /ote -n a &ha$ter in his 5#tobio'ra$hy 67art -V, ha$ter 8V--- entitled :The Ma'i& ($ell o! a ;oo< Gandhiji tells #s how he read #s<ins Unto this Last on the twenty2!o#r ho#rs jo#rney !ro" 4ohannesb#r' to D#rban. The train rea&hed there in the evenin'. - &o#ld not 'et any slee$ that ni'ht. - deter"ined to &han'e "y li!e in a&&ordan&e with the ideals o! the boo<. ... - translated it later into G#jarati, entitlin' it (arvodaya. (arvodaya is here re2translated into )n'lish, #s<ins win'ed words bein' retained as !ar as $ossible. 5t the end o! that &ha$ter Gandhiji 'ives #s a s#""ary o! the tea&hin's o! Unto This Last as he #nderstood it + 1
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(#$$osin' the oN&er only desires to a$$ly the r#les o! dis&i$line so as, with
least tro#ble to hi"sel!, to "a<e the re'i"ent "ost eHe&tive, he will not be
able, by any r#les, on this selAsh $rin&i$le, to develo$ the !#ll stren'th o! his
s#bordinates. ;#t i! he has the "ost dire&t $ersonal relations with his "en,
the "ost &are !or their interests, and the "ost val#e !or their lives, he will
develo$ their eHe&tive stren'th, thro#'h their aHe&tion !or his own $erson
and tr#st in his &hara&ter, to a de'ree wholly #nattainable by other "eans.
This a$$lies "ore strin'ently as the n#"bers &on&erned are lar'er + a
&har'e "ay o!ten be s#&&ess!#l tho#'h the "en disli<e their oN&ers E a
battle has rarely been won, #nless they loved their 'eneral.
5 body o! "en asso&iated !or the $#r$oses o! robbery 6as a 3i'hland &lan in
an&ient ti"es shall be ani"ated by $er!e&t aHe&tion, and every "e"ber o!
it be ready to lay down his li!e !or the li!e !or the li!e o! his &hie!. ;#t a band
o! "en asso&iated !or $#r$ose o! le'al $rod#&tion is #s#ally ani"ated by nos#&h e"otions, and none o! the" is willin' to 'ive his li!e !or the li!e o! his
&hie!. or a servant or a soldier is en'a'ed at a deAnite rate o! wa'es !or a
deAnite $eriod E b#t a wor<"an at a rate o! wa'es variable a&&ordin' to the
de"and !or labo#r, and with the ris< o! bein' at any ti"e thrown o#t o!
e"$loy"ent by &han&es o! trade. /ow as #nder these &onditions no a&tion
o! the aHe&tions &an ta<e $la&e, b#t only an e%$losive a&tion o!
disaHe&tions, two $oints oHer the"selves o! &onsideration in the "atter +
1. 3ow !ar the rate o! wa'es "ay be so re'#lated as not to vary with thede"and !or labo#r E
=. 3ow !ar it is $ossible that bodies o! wor<"en "ay be en'a'ed and
"aintained at s#&h A%ed rate o! wa'es 6whatever the state o! trade "ay
be, witho#t enlar'in' or di"inishin' their n#"ber, so as to 'ive the"
$er"anent interest in the establish"ent with whi&h they are &onne&ted, li<e
that o! the do"esti& servants in an old !a"ily, or an es$rit de &or$s, li<e that
o! the soldiers in a &ra&< re'i"ent.
1. 5 &#rio#s !a&t in the history o! h#"an error is the denial by the e&ono"ist
o! the $ossibility o! so re'#latin' wa'es as not to vary with the de"and !or
labo#r.
e do not sell o#r $ri"e2"inister by D#t&h a#&tion. (i&<, we do not in*#ire
!or a $hysi&ian who ta<es less than a '#inea E liti'io#s, we never thin< o!
red#&in' si%2and2ei'ht$en&e to !o#r2and2si%$en&e E &a#'ht in a shower we
do not &anvass the &ab"en to And one who val#e his drivin' at less than
si%$en&e a "ile.
The best labo#r always has been, and is, as all labo#r o#'ht to be, $aid by
an invariable standard.
hat P the reader $erha$s answers a"aedly + to $ay 'ood and bad
wor<"an ali<e J
ertainly. o# $ay with e*#al !ee, &ontentedly, the 'ood and bad $rea&hers
6wor<"en #$on yo#r so#l and the 'ood and bad $hysi&ians 6wor<"en #$on
yo#r body E "#&h "ore "ay yo# $ay, &ontentedly, with e*#al !ees, the
'ood and bad wor<"en #$on yo#r ho#se.
/ay, b#t - &hoose "y $hysi&ian, th#s indi&atin' "y sense o! the *#ality o!
their wor<. ;y all "eans &hoose yo#r bri&<layer E that is the $ro$er reward
o! the 'ood wor<"an, to be &hosen. The ri'ht syste" res$e&tin' all labo#r
is, that it sho#ld be $aid at a A%ed rate, b#t the 'ood wor<"an e"$loyed,
and the bad wor<"an #ne"$loyed. The !alse syste" is when the bad
wor<"an is allowed to oHer his wor< at hal!2$ri&e, and either ta<e the $la&e
o! the 'ood or to !or&e hi" by his &o"$etition to wor< !or an inade*#ate
s#".
=. This e*#ality o! wa'es, then, bein' the Arst obje&t towards whi&h we have
to dis&over the road, the se&ond is that o! "aintainin' &onstant n#"bers o!
wor<"en in e"$loy"ent, whatever "ay be the a&&idental de"and !or the
arti&le they $rod#&e.
The wa'es whi&h enable any wor<"an to live are ne&essarily hi'her i! his
wor< is liable to inter"ission, than i! it is ass#red and &ontin#o#s. -n thelatter &ase he will ta<e low wa'es in the !or" o! a A%ed salary. The $rovision
o! re'#lar labo#r !or the wor<"an is 'ood !or hi" as well as !or his "aster in
the lon' r#n, altho#'h he &annot then "a<e lar'e $roAts or ta<e bi' ris<s or
ind#l'e in 'a"blin'.
The soldier is ready to lay down his li!e !or his &hie! and there!ore he is held
in 'reater hono#r than an ordinary wor<"an. eally s$ea<in', the soldiers
trade is not slayin', b#t bein' slain in the de!en&e o! others. The reason the
world hono#rs the soldier is, be&a#se he holds his li!e at the servi&e o! the(tate.
/ot less is the res$e&t we $ay to the lawyer, $hysi&ian and &ler'y"an,
!o#nded #lti"ately on their sel!2sa&riA&e. (et in a j#d'es seat, the lawyer
will strive to j#d'e j#stly, &o"e o! it what "ay. The $hysi&ian will treat his
$atients with &are, no "atter #nder what diN&#lties. The &ler'y"an will
si"ilarly instr#&t his &on're'ation and dire&t it to the ri'ht $ath.
5ll the eN&ient "e"bers o! these so2&alled learned $ro!essions are in $#bli&
esti"ate o! hono#r $re!erred be!ore the head o! a &o""er&ial Ar", as the
"er&hant is $res#"ed to a&t always selAshly. 3is wor< "ay be very
ne&essary to the &o""#nity E b#t the "otive o! it is #nderstood to be wholly
$ersonal. The "er&hants Arst obje&t in all his dealin's "#st be 6the $#bli&
believe to 'et as "#&h !or hi"sel! and leave as little to his &#sto"er as
$ossible. )n!or&in' this #$on hi", by $oliti&al stat#te, as the ne&essary
$rin&i$le o! his a&tion E re&o""endin' it to hi", and the"selves re&i$ro&ally
ado$tin' it, $ro&lai"in' !or law o! the #niverse that a b#yers !#n&tion is to&hea$en, and a sellers to &heat, 2 the $#bli&, nevertheless, invol#ntarily
&onde"n the "an o! &o""er&e !or his &o"$lian&e with their own
state"ent, and sta"$ hi" !or ever as belon'in' to an in!erior 'rade o!
h#"an $ersonality.
This they "#st 'ive #$ doin'. They will have to dis&over a <ind o! &o""er&e
whi&h is not e%&l#selAsh . Br rather they "#st dis&over that there never was
or &an be any other <ind o! &o""er&e E and that this whi&h they have &alled
&o""er&e was not &o""er&e at all b#t &oenin'. -n tr#e &o""er&e, as intr#e $rea&hin' or tr#e A'htin', it is ne&essary to ad"it the idea o!
o&&asional vol#ntary loss E2that si%$en&es have to be lost, as well as lives,
#nder a sense o! d#ty E that the "ar<et "ay have its "artyrdo"s as well as
the $#l$it E and trade its herois" as well as war.
ive 'reat intelle&t#al $ro!essions e%ist in every &ivilied nation +
5nd the d#ty o! all these "en is on d#e o&&asion to die !or it. or tr#ly the
"an who does not <now when to die does not <now how to live.
Bbserve, the "er&hants !#n&tion is to $rovide !or the nation. -t is no "ore
his !#n&tion to 'et $roAt !or hi"sel! o#t o! that $rovision than it is a
&ler'y"ans !#n&tion to 'et his sti$end. This sti$end is a ne&essary adj#n&t
b#t not the obje&t o! his li!e i! he be a tr#e &ler'y"an, any "ore than his !ee6or honorari#" is the obje&t o! li!e to a tr#e $hysi&ian. /either is his !ee the
obje&t o! li!e to a tr#e "er&hant. 5ll three, i! tr#e "en, have a wor< to be
done irres$e&tive o! !ee2to be done even at any &ost, or !or *#ite the
&ontrary o! !ee E the $astors !#n&tion bein' to tea&h, the $hysi&ians to heal
and the "er&hants to $rovide. That is to say, he has to a$$ly all his sa'a&ity
and ener'y to the $rod#&in' the thin' he deals in in $er!e&t state and
distrib#tin' it at the &hea$est $ossible $ri&e where it is "ost needed.
5nd be&a#se the $rod#&tion o! any &o""odity involves the a'en&y o! "any
lives and hands, the "er&hant be&o"es in the &o#rse o! his b#siness the
"aster and 'overnor o! lar'e "asses o! "en in a "ore dire&t way than a
"ilitary oN&er or $astor, so that on hi" !alls, in 'reat $art, the res$onsibility
!or the <ind o! li!e they lead E and it be&o"es his d#ty not only to $rod#&e
'oods in the $#rest and &hea$est !or"s, b#t also to "a<e the vario#s
e"$loy"ents involved in the $rod#&tion "ost beneA&ial to the "en
e"$loyed.
5nd as into these two !#n&tions, re*#irin' !or their ri'ht e%er&ise the hi'hest
intelli'en&e as well as $atien&e, <indness and ta&t, the "er&hant is bo#nd to
$#t all his ener'y, so !or their j#st dis&har'e he is bo#nd, as solier or
$hysi&an is to 'ive #$, i! need be, his li!e, in s#&h way as it "ay be
de"anded o! hi".
Two "ain $oints he has to "aintain E Arst his en'a'e"ent E and se&ondly
the $er!e&tness and $#rity o! the thin' $rovided by hi" E so that rather than
!ail in any en'a'e"ent or &onsent to any deterioration, ad#lteration, or#nj#st or e%orbitant $ri&e o! that whi&h he $rovides, he is bo#nd to "eet
!earlessly any !or" o! distress, $overty or labo#r whi&h "ay thro#'h
"aintenan&e o! these $oints &o"e #$on hi".
5'ain in his oN&e as 'overnor o! the "en e"$loyed by hi", the "er&hant is
invested with a $aternal a#thority and res$onsibility. -n "ost &ases a yo#th
enterin' a &o""er&ial establish"ent is withdrawn alto'ether !ro" ho"e
inC#en&eE his "aster "#st be&o"e his !atherE else he has, !or $ra&ti&al and
&onstant hel$, no !ather at hand. (o that the only "eans whi&h the "asterhas o! doin' j#sti&e to the "en e"$loyed by hi" is to as< hi"sel! sternly
in his nei'hbo#rhood "#st be $oor and in want o! his 'old or his &orn.
5ss#"e that no one is in want o! either, and that no servants are to be had.
3e "#st there!ore ba<e his own bread, "a<e his own &lothes, $lo#'h his
own 'ro#nd and she$herd his own Co&<s. 3is 'old will be as #se!#l to hi" as
any other yellow $ebbles on his estate. 3is stores "#st rot, !or he &annot
&ons#"e the". 3e &an eat no "ore than another "an &o#ld eat, and wear
no "ore than another "an &o#ld wear. 3e "#st lead a li!e o! severe and
&o""on labo#r to $ro&#re even ordinary &o"!orts.
The "ost &oveto#s o! "an<ind wo#ld, with s"all e%#ltation , - $res#"e ,
a&&e$t ri&hes o! this <ind on these ter"s. hat is really desired, #nder the
na"e o! ri&hes is, essentially, $ower over "en E in its si"$lest sense, the
$ower o! obtainin' !or o#r own advanta'e the labo#r o! servant, trades"an
and artist. 5nd this $ower o! wealth o! &o#rse is 'reater or less in dire&t
$ro$ortion to the $overty o! the "en over who" it is e%er&ised and in
inverse $ro$ortion to the n#"ber o! $ersons who are as ri&h as o#rselves,
and who are ready to 'ive the sa"e $ri&e !or an arti&le o! whi&h the s#$$lyis li"ited. -! the "#si&ian is $oor, he will sin' !or s"all $ay, as lon' as there
is only one $erson who &an $ay hi" E b#t i! there be two or three, he will
sin' !or the one who oHers hi" "ost. (o that the art o! be&o"in' ri&h in
the &o""on sense is not only the art o! a&&#"#latin' "#&h "oney !or
o#rselves b#t also o! &ontrivin' that o#r nei'hbo#rs shall have less. -n
a&&#rate ter"s it is the art o! establishin' the "a%i"#" ine*#ality in o#r
own !avo#r.
The rash and abs#rd ass#"$tion that s#&h ine*#alities are ne&essarilyadvanta'eo#s lies at the root o! "ost o! the $o$#lar !alla&ies on the s#bje&t
o! e&ono"i&s. or the beneA&ialness o! the ine*#ality de$ends Arst, on the
"ethods by whi&h it was a&&o"$lished and se&ondly, on the $#r$oses to
whi&h it is a$$lied. -ne*#alities o! wealth, #nj#stly established, have
ass#redly inj#red the nation in whi&h they e%ist d#rin' their establish"ent E
and #nj#stly dire&ted, inj#re it yet "ore d#rin' their e%isten&e. ;#t
ine*#alities o! wealth, j#stly established, beneAt the nation in the &o#rse o!
their establish"ent E and nobly #sed, aid it yet "ore by their e%isten&e.
Th#s the &ir&#lation o! wealth in nation rese"bles that o! the blood in the
nat#ral body. There is one *#i&<ness o! the &#rrent whi&h &o"es o! &heer!#l
e"otion or wholeso"e e%er&ise E and another whi&h &o"es o! sha"e or o!
!ever. There is a C#sh o! the body whi&h is !#ll o! war"th and li!e E and
another whi&h will $ass into $#tre!a&tion.
5'ain even as diseased lo&al deter"ination o! the blood involves de$ression
o! the 'eneral health o! the syste", all "orbid lo&al a&tion o! ri&hes will be!o#nd #lti"ately to involve wea<enin' o! the reso#r&es o! the body $oliti&.
o! devo#rin' Cood or by la$se o! servi&eable wave. 5nd whi&h o! these it
shall be, de$ends on both ri&h and $oor <nowin' that God is their li'ht.
The Cowin' o! strea"s is in one res$e&t a $er!e&t i"a'e o! the a&tion o!
wealth. here the land !alls, the water Cows. (o wealth "#st 'o where it is
re*#ired. ;#t the dis$osition and ad"inistration o! rivers &an be altered by
h#"an !oretho#'ht. hether the strea" shall be a &#rse or a blessin'de$ends #$on "ans labo#r and ad"inistratin' intelli'en&e. or &ent#ries
distri&ts o! the world, ri&h in soil and !avo#red in &li"ate, have lain desert
#nder the ra'e o! their own rivers E not only desert, b#t $la'#e2str#&<. The
strea" whi&h, ri'htly dire&ted, wo#ld have Cowed in so!t irri'ation !ro" Aeld
to Aeld 2 wo#ld have $#riAed the air, 'iven !ood to "an and beast, and
&arried their b#rdens !or the" on its boson 2 now overwhel"s the $lain and
$oisons the wind + its breath $estilen&e, and its wor< !a"ine. -n li<e "anner
h#"an laws &an '#ide the Cow o! wealth. This the leadin' tren&h and
li"itin' "o#nd &an do so thoro#'hly that it shall be&o"e water o! li!e 2 the
ri&hes o! the hand o! wisdo" E or on the &ontrary, by leavin' it to its ownlawless Cow, they "ay "a<e it the last and deadliest o! national $la'#es +
water o! Marah 2 the water whi&h !eeds the roots o! all evil.
The ne&essity o! these laws o! distrib#tion or restraint is &#rio#sly
overloo<ed in the ordinary e&ono"ists deAnition o! his own s&ien&e. 3e
&alls it the s&ien&e o! 'ettin' ri&h. ;#t there are "any s&ien&es as well as
"any arts o! 'ettin' ri&h.
7oisonin' $eo$le o! lar'e estates was one e"$loyed lar'ely in the "iddle
a'es E ad#lteration o! !ood o! $eo$le o! s"all estates is one e"$loyed
lar'ely now. 5ll these &o"e #nder the 'eneral head o! s&ien&es or arts o!
'ettin' ri&h.
(o the e&ono"ist in &allin' his s&ien&e the s&ien&e o! 'ettin' ri&h "#st
atta&h so"e ideas o! li"itation to its &hara&ter. Let #s ass#"e that he
"eans his s&ien&e to be the s&ien&e o! 'ettin' ri&h by le'al or j#st "eans.-n this deAnition is the word j#st or le'al Anally to stand J or it is $ossible
that $ro&eedin's "ay be le'al whi&h are by no "eans j#st. -! there!ore we
leave at last only the word j#st in that $la&e o! o#r deAnition, it !ollows that
in order to 'row ri&h s&ientiA&ally, we "#st 'row ri&h j#stly E and there!ore
<now what is j#st. -t is the $rivile'e o! the Ashes, as it is o! rats and wolves,
to live by the laws o! de"and and s#$$ly E b#t it is the distin&tion o!
h#"anity to live by those o! ri'ht.
e have to e%a"ine then what are the laws o! j#sti&e res$e&tin' $ay"ent o! labo#r.
-t is not ri'ht that one $eo$le sho#ld r#le another. ;ritish r#le in -ndia is an
evil, b#t let #s not r#n away with the idea that all will be well when the
;ritish *#it -ndia.
The e%isten&e o! ;ritish r#le in the &o#ntry is d#e to o#r dis#nity, i""oralityand i'noran&e. -! these national de!e&ts were over&o"e, not only wo#ld the
;ritish leave -ndia witho#t a shot bein' Ared b#t we wo#ld be enjoyin' real
(waraj.
(o"e !oolish -ndians rejoi&e in bo"b2throwin', b#t i! all the ;ritishers in the
&o#ntry were th#s <illed, the <illers wo#ld be&o"e the r#lers o! -ndia who
wo#ld only have a &han'e o! "asters. The bo"b now thrown at )n'lish"en
will be ai"ed at -ndians a!ter the )n'lish are there no lon'er. -t was a
ren&h"an who "#rdered the 7resident o! the ren&h e$#bli&. -t was an5"eri&an who "#rdered 7resident leveland. Let #s not blindly i"itate
estern $eo$le.
-! (waraj &annot be attained by the sin o! <illin' )n'lish"en, it &annot be
attained either by the ere&tion o! h#'e !a&tories. Gold and silver "ay be
a&&#"#lated b#t they will not lead to the establish"ent o! (waraj. #s<in
has $roved this to the hilt. estern &iviliation is a "ere baby, a h#ndred or
only A!ty years old. 5nd yet it has red#&ed )#ro$e to a sorry $li'ht. Let #s
$ray that -ndia is saved !ro" the !ate that has overta<en )#ro$e, where the
nations are $oised !or an atta&< on one another, and are silent only be&a#se
o! the sto&<$ilin' o! ar"a"ents. (o"e day there will be an e%$losion, and
then )#ro$e will be a veritable hell on earth. /on2white ra&es are loo<ed
#$on as le'iti"ate $rey by every )#ro$ean state. hat else &an we e%$e&t
where &oveto#sness is the r#lin' $assion in the breasts o! "en J )#ro$eans
$o#n&e #$on new territories li<e &rows #$on a $ie&e o! "eat. - a" in&lined
to thin< that this is d#e to their "ass2$rod#&tion !a&tories.
-ndia "#st indeed have (waraj b#t she "#st have it by ri'hteo#s "ethods.
B#r (waraj "#st be real (waraj, whi&h &annot be attained by either violen&e
or ind#strialiation. -ndia was on&e a 'olden land, be&a#se -ndians then had
hearts o! 'old. The land is still the sa"e b#t it is a desert be&a#se we are
&orr#$t. -t &an be&o"e a land o! 'old a'ain only i! the base "etal o! o#r
$resent national &hara&ter is trans"#ted into 'old. The $hiloso$hers stone
whi&h &an eHe&t this 61 trans!or"ation is a little word o! two syllables 2
(atya 6Tr#th. -! every -ndian sti&<s to tr#th, (waraj will &o"e to #s o! its own
61 -nstit#tions, says 3erbert ($en&er, are de$endent on &hara&ter E and
however &han'ed in their s#$erA&ial as$e&ts, &annot be &han'ed in their
essential nat#res !aster than &hara&ter &han'es.
7#bli& do"ain This wor< is now in the $#bli& do"ain be&a#se it
ori'inates !ro" -ndia and its ter" o! &o$yri'ht has e%$ired. 5&&ordin' to The
-ndian o$yri'ht 5&t, 19@O, all literary, dra"ati&, "#si&al and artisti& wor<s6other than $hoto'ra$hs $#blished within the li!eti"e o! the a#thor 6s. ==
enter the $#bli& do"ain a!ter si%ty years &o#nted !ro" the be'innin' o! the
!ollowin' &alendar year 6ie. as o! =01?, $rior to 1 4an#ary 19@? a!ter the
death o! the a#thor. 7osth#"o#s wor<s 6s. =?, $hoto'ra$hs 6s. =@,
&ine"ato'ra$h Al"s 6s. =, and so#nd re&ordin's 6s. =O enter the $#bli&
do"ain si%ty years a!ter the Arst $#bli&ation. la' o! -ndia.sv'