c. 528 BCE – 486 BCE: Buddhism

In India, Buddha supports ethics, respect for life, nonviolence and human rights. His ideas
recognize individuals, the society and the creation as a whole. In this perspective, Mahatma
Gandhi notes, “I do not want to think in terms of the whole world. My patriotism includes the
good of mankind in general. Therefore, my service to lndia includes the services of humanity”.
The Buddhist principle of nonviolence “is a humanitarian doctrine par excellence, dating back
to the third century B. c.

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