Critical Currents no. 3, April 2008
Camus and Gandhi
- Essays on Political Philosophy in Hammarskjöld’s Times

The three essays in this volume draw attention to political-philosophical views of a libertarian form of humanism, which have not lost their relevance in our world of today. The impact both Mahatma Gandhi (1869-1948) and Albert Camus (1913-1960) had on the struggles for social emancipation was not confined to their lifetimes nor to their societies. They inspired new social movements and challenged pseudo-radical notions advocating emancipation based on violence and coercion. Their views remain as valid as ever before. These essays illustrate the point. By doing so, they also touch on issues that relate to substantial parts of the moral and ethical context of the life and legacy of Dag Hammarskjöld (1905-1961), though there were no
visible links between the three protagonists and not only similarities but also differences in their views. Gandhi and Camus shared a strictly non-violent and anti-authoritarian approach. Their uncompromising notion of integrity, and of adherence to fundamental ethical values and norms in pursuance of true humanism, resonates with the convictions of Hammarskjöld. Their political philosophy also merits being both remembered and consciously practised in today’s world.