Gandhi (1869- 1948) is one of the few people in history who fought on the moral, religious, political, social, economic and cultural fronts at the same time. During his time as a lawyer in South Africa, he developed his nonviolent strategy: opposing unjust laws through nonviolent protests, which was the basis of his successful resistance to British rule in India.

In this very brief article introducing Gandhi's life and thoughts, Bhikhu Parek outlined Gandhi's main philosophical views and the limitations of his thoughts. He focuses on Gandhi's cosmocentric anthropology, his spiritual view on politics, his unique form of free communitarianism, and his theories of oppression, non-violent action and active citizenship. He also considered how the success of Gandhi's principles was limited by his lack of coherent theory of evil, state and power, and how his hostility to modern civilization hindered his understanding of its complexity.

Gandhi's life and thoughts have exerted great influence both at home and abroad in India. As one of the greatest moral and political leaders in the 20th century, he continues to be widely respected.