UPSC Prelims 2011 · Question 77 of 100
UPSC Prelims 2011 question on Unto This Last Ruskin
- ExamUPSC CSE
- Year2011
- PaperGeneral Studies Paper I
- SubjectModern History
- TopicPersonalities in Modern History
- DifficultyHard
- TypeDirect
Mahatma Gandhi said that some of his deepest convictions were reflected in a book titled, “Unto this Last” and the book transformed his life. What was the message from the book that transformed Mahatma Gandhi?
Show answer
Answer: B. The good of individual is contained in the good of all
Verdict
Correct Answer: The good of individual is contained in the good of all
Analysis
Mahatma Gandhi was deeply influenced by John Ruskin’s book Unto This Last. He later translated it into Gujarati as Sarvodaya, meaning welfare of all.
1. The good of individual is contained in the good of all — Correct
Gandhi considered this the central message of Unto This Last.
It shaped his idea of Sarvodaya, where the welfare of an individual is linked with the welfare of society as a whole.
2. Equality of all work — Correct idea from the book
Gandhi also learnt that the work of a lawyer and a barber has equal value.
This strengthened his belief in dignity of labour and equality of livelihood.
3. Life of physical labour is worth living — Correct idea from the book
Ruskin’s book influenced Gandhi’s respect for manual labour.
It encouraged the idea that the life of a farmer, craftsman or worker is morally valuable.
4. Celibacy or personal spiritual discipline — Incorrect
Gandhi’s idea of brahmacharya came from his personal spiritual evolution.
It was not a direct teaching of Ruskin’s Unto This Last.
Extra UPSC info
* Gandhi read Unto This Last in South Africa in 1904.
* The book was written by John Ruskin.
* Gandhi translated it into Gujarati as Sarvodaya in 1908.
* Sarvodaya means welfare of all.
* Gandhi established Phoenix Settlement in South Africa in 1904, influenced by these ideas.
* Antyodaya means upliftment of the last person or the most marginalised.
How to crack it
The main lesson Gandhi drew from Unto This Last was that the good of the individual is contained in the good of all.