In the same way that the rest of our body is affected when we chop off a limb-such as an arm or a leg-when we harm another being, we’re actually harming ourselves. Gandhi uses this to describe the effect we have on those around us. It is like that of a web, where all of mankind is interdependent of one another via some link. This analogy explains that similar to the limbs on our body, everyone we’re surrounded by is connected to us. This outlook can be better paraphrased in Gandhi’s arm/leg analogy.

For a broader context, satyagraha is the theory that the Truth of our existence is that we’re all connected in this way (Ellery). The term satyagraha was coined by Gandhi himself and when broken down into strict definitional terms, means “appeal to truth.” In other words, it is the insistent reliance on what Gandhi calls the Truth-which is the essential unity of mankind. Yet, the basis of his ideologies for non-violent civil disobedience are rooted in the lesser known policy of passive political resistance, known as satyagraha. Mahatma Gandhi is most famously known for his 1930 Dandi March, also known as the Salt March. Finally, I will argue that while Gandhi’s approach is ideal, Thoreau’s is superior because it is more practical and undemanding, and better fits the modern-day’s concept of egalitarianism. Then, it will examine whether or not Gandhi and Thoreau’s practices would be efficient when dealing with today’s issues that call for forms of non-violence resistance. Initially, it will review the moral principles that govern the rationality of each philosopher and further go on to compare and contrast both of their ideologies. This paper is intended to cover a multitude of things. Mahatma Gandhi and Henry David Thoreau are two individuals very notably known for their philosophies of non-violent resistance and protests.

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