Mohandas Gandhi: A Moral/Economic Progress

In Mohandas Gandhi’s speech “Economic and Moral Progress” emphasis is placed on distinguishing the difference between economic and moral progress. From Gandhi’s experience and studies he recognizes that economic and moral progress are often opposing and interchangeable. Gandhi states that he knows little of economics but was more that happy to speak on the topic because of his strong belief in the importance of moral progress over economic progress. Gandhi relies primarily on religious text coupled with all three rhetoric devices to exemplify his argument. Gandhi quotes the bible in saying “Take no thought for the morrow” meaning one should seek morality over material advantage, an idea prevalent “in almost all the religious scriptures in the world”(Gandhi 334) and it is this very idea with which Gandhi argues.
Gandhi views economic progress and moral progress as two singular properties. Gandhi makes the assumption at the beginning of his speech that economic progress refers to one’s materialistic wealth while moral progress refers to “real progress” (Gandhi 334) Gandhi introduces his idea of what defines moral progress by asking “Does not moral progress increase in the same proportion as material progress?” (Gandhi 334) In this question Gandhi is examining the relationship between economic and moral progress. Gandhi states that it is popular belief that “material progress does not clash with moral progress”, so it must necessarily advance the latter. Gandhi exemplifies this popular idea and applies it to the “case of thirty millions of India stated by the late Sir William Wilson Hunter to be living on one meal a day” this case built on the idea that before attending to one’s moral welfare their daily needs must first be satisfied. Gandhi continues on state how absurd this idea it is, it is his belief that every human has the right to life, food, clothing and shelter but to obtain these things “we need no assistance from economists”(Gandhi 334) It is Gandhi’s