Gandhi’s Anāsakti Yoga, Disinterest, and Moral Inquiry

This thesis examines Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi’s notion of anāsakti yoga, which means detachment from self-regarding interests, and demonstrates its relevance for contemporary debates in moral philosophy. In particular, the thesis argues that anāsakti yoga suggests pathways in which moral agents might achieve objectivity in their moral judgements, while retaining their own point of view. From this basis, the thesis develops a novel conception of disinterest as a virtue which regulates moral agents’ attachments and interests.