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militant Nonviolence EssayErik Erikson, the world-ren knowledgeed power of the book Gandhis faithfulness has also been popular because of his stages of psychosocial development (Niolon, 2007) .The said stages are enumerated in this manner Infancy (Birth 18 months) wherein the main psychosocial crisis is trust vs. mistrust, Toddler (1 1/2 3 years) which usually involves autonomy vs. shame doubt, Play Age (3-6 years), usually involving the psychosocial crisis of initiative vs. guilt, school age (7-12 years), which often related to industry vs. inferiority, adolescence (12-19 years), identity vs. role confusion, young due date (20-34 years old), intimacy vs. isolation, adulthood (35-60 years), generativity vs. stagnation, and finally, late adulthood (60 years and above that is usually associated with the psychosocial crisis integrity vs. despair (Niolon, 2007) .This paper shall look into the book authored by the identical person, entitled Gandhis truth, a book that has bee n said to be the acclaimed study of Mahatma Gandhi, taking the psychoanalytic system developed by its author into consideration.This non-fictional literary ferment shall be analyzed based on the theory developed by the same psychoanalyst together with the discussions obtained from the book Development and Aging by Papalia, Sterns, Feldman and Camp, including topics such as health and aging, intelligence information and its measurements, creativity, mature thought, wisdom and moral intelligences education, work and leisure, etc. It has been a known fact that humans face their decline when they ca-ca a certain age. It is often heard from different people that this kind of decline happens as most people are not as amentiferous as they were once was in their childhood or early adulthood.This is also most prevalent in most senior citizens (Godrej, 2002). Apparently, for most studies, development stops at a certain stage . On the contrary, Eriksons theory disproves the fact that de velopment stops. In fact, it continues throughout the brio cycle. According to the psychoanalyst and author of the very popular book, older people are not finished developing. Older people are said to come up to terms with their own morality, making them look deeper into their while lives.More often than not, they look back to the good times with gladness, at their hard times with self respect, and finally, look at their mistakes and regrets with forgiveness (Lasch, 1969) . It is doing so that they rediscover integrity as they get ready for whatever challenges that life and death could bring upon them. On the other hand, those who dwell isolated to the hurts and sadness that their life brought to them, shall be dissatisfied with the life that they have led and would easily get depressed. These are the concepts being described by Erik Erikson in his stages of psychosocial development.He has reflected these said concepts onto the life of Mohandas Gandhi, more popularly known as Maha tma or the undischarged soul, the father of the Indian Nation. Almost everyone on the face of this planet has heard about the contributions of one of the humans who has been said to lead a great life to the history of India and the whole world (Anderson, n. d. ). He was generally known, as mentioned, as the father of the Indian nation who continuously fought for the independence of his nation from the British colonizers, despite the consequences he faced, despite his old age.Eriksons Gandhis truth is generally a psychological reconstruction of Gandhis early years in Kathiawar on the Arabian Sea as well as his evict in London and South Africa. In the same manner, it provided an in depth analysis of the 1918 textile workers strike in Ahmedabad where Gandhi was first seen to practice his ism of Satyagraha or non violence (Lasch, 1969) . Erikson looked into the other aspects of this great mans life that influenced his adoption of Satyagraha.The said author looked into the precociou s and relentless conscience of the great soul by aspect onto these said events which included the way Gandhi nursed his father, the civil servant whose career and health declined during his sons youth, which helped him, set the pattern for a lead that could defeat a superior opponent nonviolently (Lasch, 1969). Gandhis down-and-out and premature marriages effect on his adoption of Satyagraha was also examined. Generally, this unsuccessful marriage of his left him in horror of his sexuality (Anderson, n.d. ). At the same time, it encour sr. him to develop the religious and spiritual aspect of his life that played a very important role in his battle for the independence of his beloved country (Lasch, 1969). Of course, this has been the reason why Mahatma Gandhi started his quest for sainthood which had taken a political form. Gandhis leadership in the said textile strike has also been reexamined. It is where Erikson focused his study on the life of the great soul, in relation to th at of his developed theory (Anderson, n. d. ).According to the said author, this has been one of the most unusual exercises in nonviolence though it led to the victory of Mahatma and the textile workers. This does not only reflect Mahatma Gandhis doctrine of nonviolence but his faithfulness to dharma (Lasch, 1969) . Aside from the religious life led by Mohandas K. Gandhi, more popularly known as Mahatma Gandhi, his spatial intelligence and creativity should be reconsidered. These two has contributed so much to his doctrine as he was able to devise ways, using his intelligence as a discerning man in devising ways to battle their colonizers (Lasch, 1969).Generally, his spatial intelligence allowed Gandhi a better and quicker ways of correcting mistakes than other forms of political action. Gandhis doctrine aims to cure men of their righteous and fanatic moralism that has been said to be the cause of violence that are quite irrational (Anderson, n. d. ). It is obviously seen that Gand his actions as an aged man has not declined due to the challenges he experienced during his childhood and young adulthood (Chawla, 2001).In the same manner, his doctrine of non-violence or Satyagraha has not only been abnormal by his deteriorating health but of his beliefs, religiousness and faithfulness to dharma that has contributed so much in his fight for the freedom of his motherland, India, the land which had been infamously known for its division brought about by differences in religion (Anderson, n. d. ). Basically, the analysis of this book, together with the psychoanalytical theory developed by Erik Erikson, has provided the psychological foundations of what has been known all over the world as great leadership and non-violence.It showed how Gandhis previous experiences affected his life as an aged man. As Erikson suggest, the spirit that Gandhi had ever since his childhood has influenced standardization (Anderson, n. d. ). Every individual is wherefore encouraged to fol low his own path, a path that is based on his insights with regard to the realities of the world that he is living in as well as the realities by which he or she knows his or her own self. If this perceptions turn out to be true, then the path he has taken shall be the path of truth. This is what the life of Gandhi, based on Eriksons book showed us.His perceptions that have been developed and continuously developing throughout his own life has influenced the development of a doctrine and philosophy that has gained him the title of a great soul (Chawla, 2001) . It is through this that he was able to influence not just his countrymen but the whole world as well. Eventually, looking into the brighter side of life can do so much good to a person who is in the last stage of his psychosocial development. In Gandhis case, he did not allow his weaknesses to serve as barriers in his fight, instead, he utilized them in such a way that his opponents looked onto it as his strengths (Anderson, n .d. ).ReferencesAnderson, H. (1971. ) Gandhis Truth On the Origins of Militant Nonviolence. Theology Today. Vol 28. No. 2 Retrieved December 18, 2007 from http//theologytoday. ptsem. edu/jul1971/v28-2-bookreview10. htm Chawla, A. (2001). MOVING BEYOND GANDHIS TRUTH. Retrieved December 18, 2007 from http//www. samarthbharat. com/truth. htm ERIKSONS THEORY OF PSYCHOSOCIAL DEVELOPMENT (2007). Retrieved December 18, 2007 from http//www. fractaldomains. com/devpsych/erikson. htm Erikson, E. (1969). Gandhis Truth. Journal of Religion and Health.Volume 9, offspring 3. Godrej. F. (2002). Gandhis Truth Nonviolence as Epistemological Arbiter. Retrieved December 18, 2007 from http//www. allacademic. com/meta/p65025_index. hypertext mark-up language Lasch, C. (1969). One Mans Quest for Sainthood and the Revolutionary Philosophy to Which It Led. Retrieved December 18, 2007 from http// www. nytimes. com/books/99/08/22/specials/erikson-gandhi. html Niolon, R. (2007) Erickons Psychosocial Stages of Development. Retrieved December 18, 2007 from http//www. psychpage. com/learning/library/person/erikson. html