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Q84 (IAS/2020) Polity & Governance › Governance, Policies & Social Justice › Democratic political theory Official Key

One common agreement between Gandhism and Marxism is

Result
Your answer: —  ·  Correct: A
Explanation

The correct answer is Option 1: the final goal of a stateless society.

Both Mahatma Gandhi and Karl Marx envisioned an ultimate social order where the coercive apparatus of the state would no longer be necessary, albeit through different ideological paths:

  • Marxism: Marx viewed the state as an instrument of class exploitation. He predicted that after the proletarian revolution and the transition through socialism, a classless society would emerge, leading to the "withering away of the state."
  • Gandhism: Gandhi was a "philosophical anarchist" who believed in Ramarajya—a self-regulated society of enlightened individuals. He considered the state a "soulless machine" representing concentrated violence, aiming for a society where social life is self-governed without state coercion.

Regarding other options, Gandhi rejected class struggle (Option 2) in favor of Sarvodaya (upliftment of all) and economic determinism (Option 4). He did not advocate for the total abolition of private property (Option 3) but proposed the "Trusteeship" model instead.

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Q. One common agreement between Gandhism and Marxism is [A] a) the final goal of a stateless society [B] class struggle [C] abolition of …
At a glance
Origin: Mostly Current Affairs Fairness: Low / Borderline fairness Books / CA: 0/10 · 7.5/10
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This is a classic 'Comparative Ideology' question found in standard Political Science primers and objective question banks (like Laxmikanth's appendix). It tests philosophical end-goals rather than historical events. While Marx and Gandhi diverge on 'means' (violence vs. ahimsa) and 'immediate structures' (trusteeship vs. state ownership), they converge on the ultimate utopian ideal: a society so self-regulated that the State 'withers away' (Marx) or becomes 'enlightened anarchy' (Gandhi).

How this question is built

This question can be broken into the following sub-statements. Tap a statement sentence to jump into its detailed analysis.

Statement 1
Is the final goal of a stateless society common to both Gandhism and Marxism?
Origin: Web / Current Affairs Fairness: CA heavy Web-answerable

Web source
Presence: 5/5
""while the final aim of both them it the establishments of a stateless and classless society, their means for achieving this aim are different.""
Why this source?
  • Explicitly states both Gandhi and Marx share the same final aim.
  • Specifically names the shared goal as the 'establishments of a stateless and classless society'.
  • Contrasts only the means (nonviolence vs. violent struggle), implying agreement on the end.
Web source
Presence: 4/5
""Politically it is a form of stateless society, socially it is a form of classless society where all persons are equally treated irrespective of caste, colour, religion, sex etc.,""
Why this source?
  • Describes Gandhi's ideal (Ramarajya) in political terms as a stateless society.
  • Also frames it socially as a classless society, matching the components of the statement.
Web source
Presence: 5/5
""abolition of private property but also the eradication of state and abolition of classes. It will be a classless and stateless society""
Why this source?
  • Describes Marx's vision as involving 'eradication of state and abolition of classes'.
  • Explicitly labels the outcome 'a classless and stateless society', directly supporting the claim about Marxism's end.

Rajiv Ahir. A Brief History of Modern India (2019 ed.). SPECTRUM. > Chapter 22: Nationalist Response in the Wake of World War II > Form of Government > p. 425
Strength: 5/5
“and community building. "At the individual level Swaraj is vitally connected with the capacity for dispassionate selfassessment, ceaseless self-purification and growing selfreliance." Gandhi said: "I look upon an increase in the power of the state with greatest fear, because although while apparently doing good by minimising exploitation, it does the greatest harm to mankind by destroying individuality which is at the root of progress". He was sceptical of the party system and sure that representative democracy could not provide people with justice. He advocated a stateless society in which life becomes perfect. Gandhi was opposed to centralisation. He believed in decentralisation of political as well as economic power, and this could come about only by beginning from the basic unit.”
Why relevant

Explicitly says Gandhi 'advocated a stateless society' and feared increase in state power, highlighting decentralisation as core to his goal.

How to extend

A student can combine this with the basic fact that 'stateless society' means abolition or minimal role of central state to test whether Gandhi's end-goal matches other doctrines.

Rajiv Ahir. A Brief History of Modern India (2019 ed.). SPECTRUM. > Chapter 22: Nationalist Response in the Wake of World War II > Form of Government > p. 424
Strength: 5/5
“After the achievement of independence, Bose considered leftism would mean socialism; the reconstruction of national life would have to be on a socialist basis. Indeed, it would appear from many of his writings that, after an initial stage of authoritarian rule, there could be formed "a new India and a happy India on the basis of the eternal principles of liberty, democracy and socialism." Gandhi's ideas on government can be found in the Hind Swaraj (1909); it was "the nearest he came to producing a sustained work of political theory." Gandhi's idealised state, his Ramrajya—a utopia, in fact—did not need a representative government, a constitution, an army or a police force.”
Why relevant

Describes Gandhi's ideal Ramrajya as a utopia needing no representative government, constitution, army or police — a practical example of a stateless ideal.

How to extend

A student can map this concrete description onto the definition of 'stateless society' to evaluate similarity with other ideologies' end-goals.

Rajiv Ahir. A Brief History of Modern India (2019 ed.). SPECTRUM. > Chapter 22: Nationalist Response in the Wake of World War II > Ideas on Economy > p. 426
Strength: 4/5
“Gandhi's concept of Swaraj had its own brand of economic vision. He wanted a decentralised economy without state control. Gandhi dismissed both capitalism and Western socialism—the former for its exploitative excesses and the latter for its connection to industrialisation. Both, he believed, led human beings to crave for luxury and self-indulgence. Gandhi wanted people to get rid of greed and make do with just the bare necessities of life. He developed the idea of village Sarvodaya. He advocated a "back to the roots" vision when production was "simultaneous with consumption and distribution and the vicious circle of money economy was absent.”
Why relevant

Gandhi's economic vision emphasized a decentralised economy 'without state control', reinforcing the idea that his aim reduces central state functions.

How to extend

Combine this with the general concept that stateless societies remove centralised political and economic control to judge alignment with Marxist aims.

Rajiv Ahir. A Brief History of Modern India (2019 ed.). SPECTRUM. > Chapter 17: Emergence of Swarajists, Socialist Ideas, Revolutionary Activities and Other New Forces > Redefining Revolution > p. 355
Strength: 4/5
“By revolution we mean the present order of things, which is based on manifest injustice, must change." Bhagat fully accepted Marxism and the class approach to society—"Peasants have to free themselves not only from the foreign yoke, but also from the yoke of landlords and capitalists." He also said, "The struggle in India will continue, so long as a handful of exploiters continue to exploit labour of common people to further their own interests. It matters little whether these exploiters are British capitalists, British and Indian capitalists in alliance, or even purely Indians." He defined socialism scientifically as abolition of capitalism and class domination.”
Why relevant

Defines socialism (in the Bhagat/Marx-influenced sense) as abolition of capitalism and class domination, pointing toward a radical social transformation.

How to extend

Using basic knowledge that Marxist theory equates abolition of class with eventual 'classless, stateless' society, a student can test whether Marxism's end-goal is statelessness.

Introduction to the Constitution of India, D. D. Basu (26th ed.). > Chapter 3: THE PHILOSOPHY OF THE CONSTITUTION > REFERENCES > p. 34
Strength: 3/5
“The Supreme Court is also facilitating the advent of socialism by interpreting other provisions W of the Constitution in the light of the word 'socialism' in the Preamble [Excel tar v UOI. AIR 1979 se 25. para 24 : (1978) 4 see 224: (19 78) 2 LLJ 527; Randhir v UOI, AIR 1982 se 879, para 8: (1982) 1 see 618; DS Nakara v UOI, AIR 1983 se 130, paras 33-34: (1983) I see 305; Mintrva Mills , UOI, AIR 1980 se 1789: (1980) 2 see 591]. According to the Supreme Court, the goal of Indian Socialism is "a blend of Marxism and Gandhism, leaning heavily towards Gandhian socialism" (Nakara v.”
Why relevant

Notes the Supreme Court's view that Indian socialism is 'a blend of Marxism and Gandhism', implying perceived commonalities between the two schools.

How to extend

A student can use this institutional assessment as a prompt to compare specific end-goals (e.g., statelessness) claimed by each ideology.

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Statement analysis

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Statement analysis

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