What is Moral Action? — Important Questions

Has no morality in it

Gandhi states that 'for an act to be moral it has to be free from fear and compulsion.' He gives examples like rising early for office out of fear of losing one's job, or King Richard II granting rights to peasants out of fear. These actions may be practical or beneficial, but they lack moral content because they're motivated by fear rather than genuine moral conviction. Fear removes the element of free choice that is essential for moral action.

The intention behind an action determines its morality

Gandhi uses this example to show that 'whether an act is moral or otherwise depends upon the intention of the doer.' Two men perform exactly the same action - feeding the poor - but one acts out of pity (moral) while the other acts to win prestige (non-moral). The external action is identical, but the different intentions make one action moral and the other non-moral. This demonstrates that we cannot judge morality by the action alone; we must consider the doer's motivation.

Results of actions are not within our control

Gandhi explains that 'The result of an action is not within our control. God alone is the giver of fruit.' This means we cannot control the outcomes of our actions, so we shouldn't judge morality based on results. Sometimes moral acts don't produce visible good results, but that doesn't make them less moral. What matters for morality is that 'the act is good and is done with good intention.' The focus should be on our intention and the goodness of the act itself, not on the consequences.

Neither right nor wrong morally

Gandhi carefully distinguishes between 'non-moral' and 'immoral' actions. Non-moral actions are those that don't involve moral considerations - they're neither morally right nor morally wrong. Examples include routine conventional behavior or actions done for selfish motives. Immoral actions, on the other hand, are morally wrong. The distinction is important because non-moral actions aren't bad or harmful; they simply lack moral significance because they don't involve moral choice or intention.