Gandhiji mentions six qualities of an action which qualify it to be called moral and the absence of which make it non-moral.
Many actions are done because they are a part of society’s conventions. Without such behavior, there will be anarchy in society. Such acts are non-moral.
An act to be called moral should spring from our own will. It should not be performed mechanically, without any discrimination or thought.
A good act is not a moral act if the person does not have the intention to do good. Results of our action should be left to God. Alexander, though called Great, was not moral.
There should be no self-interest behind a moral act. Even honesty cannot be practiced as the best policy. It should be the only policy.
An act done for consideration of comfort and personal happiness in another world is non-moral. That action is moral which is done only for the sake of doing good. St. Francis Xavier and St. Theresa has devoted souls who prayed to God because they loved him. Henry Clay and Daniel Webster lived virtuous lives but sacrificed their virtue just once, thereby negating all the good they had done.
Gandhiji concludes that judging the morality of a man’s action is very difficult since we cannot penetrate the depths of his mind.
