Between May 1928 and January 1930, Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi and Bartholomeus De Ligt engaged in an intense and detailed debate over the justifications for war, much of which was published in Young India. De Ligt argued that Gandhi could not be considered the moral successor of Tolstoy, as the Mahatma had participated in British-led wars three times: during the second Boer War (1899–1902), the Zulu rebellion (1906), and the Great War against the European Central Powers. Throughout this dispute, De Ligt (...) condemned violence as a means of resolving conflicts under any circumstances, rejecting war unconditionally. He championed a highly ethical and idealistic form of anarcho-pacifism, promoting a creed of fraternity and showing himself to be a man of uncompromising principles. In contrast, Gandhi demonstrated a pragmatic approach, supporting the loyalty of his fellow countrymen to the British Empire in exchange for the potential granting of dominion status. Despite his humanitarian ideals, Gandhi’s philosophy combined a sort of realistic cunning with a profound faith in ahisma, seeing non-violence as a doctrine susceptible to development and modification. From this perspective, he shared a form of relative pacifism that justified war under certain conditions. (shrink)