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Gandhi's truth: on the origins pf military nonviolence

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The fact that it is built around an ‘Event’, but not in any traumatological or originological sense, was unexpected. Certainly, Erikson comes out as a brilliant observer as a better talker. Erikson is thoroughly interesing. I find that in this book he’s sort of works backward, trying to find childhood evidence of what he knows transpired in the future. The background information, though apparently sufficient to his purpose, is not extensive. He said nothing, for instance, about the political or social context at the time of Gandhi’s life before leaving for England. Of course, strictly speaking this is not a biography, and seems to take minute biographical data (which does not interest him) as given elsewhere. Nonetheless, the book is a brilliant work of many insights and sharp acumen. Erikson addresses a sort of talk to Gandhi himself. An interesting style I didn’t expect. Though he deals with violence extensively (and non-violence), it seems important to him to find a link with Gandhi’s sexuality, which, of course, makes sense, since Gandhi himself seems to have made the connection. Erikson’s intuitions are profound and wide-ranging. His work leaves you wanting more. It gives one much food for thought. Thoroughly fascinating. His deep insights are a wonder to behold. Erikson peels intuitions off Gandhi layer by layer, seldom missing anything, always giving due credit, and consistently going to the limits of whatever he deals with. A master of psychobiography, Erikson does honour to biography writing as to psychology.

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Availability

171112420

920 ERI g

Z. HANDIMAN

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Detail Information

Series Title

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Call Number

920 ERI g

Publisher

New York : W.W. norton Company., 1969

Collation

476p.; 23 cm.

Language

English

ISBN/ISSN

393-01049-X

Classification

920

Content Type

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Media Type

-

Carrier Type

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Edition

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Subject(s)

BIOGRAPHY

Specific Detail Info

F/v

Statement of Responsibility

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