The Philosophy of Mahatma Gandhi: His message and relevance to the modern world
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- Start Date: 17 Nov 2025End Date: 08 Dec 2025Mon (Evening): 19:00 - 20:30OnlineFull fee £79.00 Senior fee £79.00 Concession £51.00
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What is the course about?
Mahatma Gandhi's autobiography 'My Experiments with Truth' came out nearly 100 years ago and continues to be widely read and highly regarded.
Albert Einstein said of Gandhi, “Generations to come will scarce believe that such a one as this walked the earth in flesh and blood.”
We will explore Gandhi’s life (1869-1948), his message and legacy. We will also consider what Gandhi may have said about our 21st Century challenges including the emergence of nationalism and consumerism and world challenges in climate change and the role of technology.
The course will be interactive with a chance for discussion of Gandhi’s philosophy and its modern relevance. Reading will be provided to students.
What will we cover?
¿ Gandhi’s experience in India, South Africa and the UK.
¿ His personal Philosophy and its basis from Hinduism, Jainism, and Christianity
¿ His message in today’s world: Do they stand the test of time in providing meaning to emergent world issues?
What will I achieve?
By the end of this course you should be able to...
- State the key elements and experiences in Gandhi’s life
- Explain Gandhi’s’ personal philosophy and its development
- Reflect on Gandhi’s message and relevance to the modern world.
What level is the course and do I need any particular skills?
The course is designed for beginners or intermediate learners with little or no experience of the material. It will appeal to all those who would like to find out more about Gandhi. It is anticipated that participants will come to the course with an open mind and a willingness to listen and respond to views which may differ from their own, and will be respectful to others of all faiths/philosophies or none.
How will I be taught, and will there be any work outside the class?
Virtually - Video, Presentations, virtual group exercises.
Are there any other costs? Is there anything I need to bring?
No further costs. You might wish to have notetaking materials in case you want to take notes during the session.
When I've finished, what course can I do next?
See City Lit's website for details of forthcoming courses in religion and belief.
Ketan teaches courses in Business Skills and Indian Philosophy/History at CityLit. In his career Ketan has worked with over 30 large and complex organisations in helping them with Operational Excellence and Change Management. He is the author of the book ‘The Art of Transformational Change – a handbook for leaders and managers’, published in October 2015. Ketan is of indian hertitage and has visited many places of pilgrimage and history in India over the last 25 years. He has learnt Sanskrit to foundation level and studied several Indian sutras. He has delivered courses in Jain Philosophy for over 15 years.
Please note: We reserve the right to change our tutors from those advertised. This happens rarely, but if it does, we are unable to refund fees due to this. Our tutors may have different teaching styles; however we guarantee a consistent quality of teaching in all our courses.
