Understand the Philosophy and Principles of Nonviolence Under the Leadership of Martin Luther King
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.53469/jssh.2024.6(10).29Keywords:
American studies, nonviolence philosophy, nonviolent direct actions, violenceAbstract
The rich social and political philosophy of Martin Luther King, Jr., is encompassed in his nonviolence philosophy and principles. Since the very first day he became a world icon in 1955 until his brutal assassination by James Earl Ray in 1968, King had preached and practiced the nonviolence philosophy with all his might. Scholars might write voluminous books on King’s nonviolence philosophy alone because he dedicated his whole life on it. He tried to convince his fellow Americans into espousing this philosophy through eloquent speeches and attracting articles. He perceived violence as a spiral of evil forces underpinned by bitterness and hate that only results in chaos, whereas he conceived nonviolence as a solution that offers peace of mind and heart in a beloved community. This paper highlights that King was an arduous proponent of nonviolence by principles in both his way of life and struggle strategy. The principles he applied hinge on self - discipline, courage, moral strength and nonviolent direct actions.
References
Branch, T. (1988). Parting the Waters: America in the King Years (1954 - 63). New York: Simon & Schuster, Inc.
Diop, M. (2013). Martin Luther King, Jr.: A Quest for Freedom and Justice in the African American Experience. M. A. thesis. . Cheikh Anta Diop University, Dakar, Senegal.
Diop, M. (2022). The Universality of Martin Luther King, Jr. ’s and Nelson Mandela’s Humanistic Massages. Dissertation thesis. Cheikh Anta Diop University, Dakar, Senegal.
Diop, M. (2024). The Crowning of a Nonviolent King in the 1950s and 1960s America by Christ, Gandhi and Thoreau. Global Journal of Arts Humanity and Social Sciences.4 (2): 163 - 169.
English Standard Version Bible. (2001). ESV Online. Retrieved from https: //esv. literalword. com/
Garrow, D. J. (1986). Bearing the Cross: Martin Luther King, Jr. and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. New York: Vintage Books.
King, M. L., Jr. (1968). Where Do We Go From Here: Chaos or Community? L. V. Baldwin (Ed.). Boston: Beacon Press.
King, M. L., Jr. (1986). I Have a Dream: Writings and Speeches that Changed the World. James Melvin Washington (Ed.). New York: Harper Collins Publishers.
King, M. L., Jr. (1991). A Testament of Hope: The Essential Writings and Speeches of Martin Luther King, Jr. James Melvin Washington (Ed.). New York: HarperCollins Publishers.
King, M. L., Jr. (2012). “In a Single Garment of Destiny”: A Global Vision of Justice. L. V. Baldwin (Ed.). Boston: Beacon Press.
Mendoza, J. (2024). What Is the Meaning of Good Friday? Why Is it Called Good Friday? What to Know about the Holiday. Retrieved from https: //www.usatoday. com/story/news/nation/2023/04/06/good - friday - menaing - what - to - know/11607176002/
Merriam - Webster. (2024). Nonviolence. https: //www.merriam - webster. com/dictionary/nonviolence
Podair, J. (2009). Bayard Rustin: An American Dreamer. New York: Rowman and Littlefield Publishers, Inc., 2009.
Vatter, H. G. & Palm, T. (Eds.). (1972). The Economics of Black America. New York: Hartcourt Brace Jovanovich, Inc.
Young, H. J. (1981). Major Black Religious Leaders. Nashville, Tennessee: Abingdon.
Ican. (2024). What happens if nuclear weapons are used? Retrieved from https: //www.icanw. org/catastrophic_harm
Wikipedia The Free Encyclopedia. (2024). Nonviolence. Retrieved from https: //en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Nonviolence
Wikipedia The Free Encyclopedia. (2024). Nat Turner’s Slave Rebellion. Retrieved from https: //en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Nat_Turner%27s_slave_rebellion
Wikipedia The Free Encyclopedia. (2024). George Floyd. Retrieved from https: //en. wikipedia. org/wiki/George_Floyd
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2024 Mouhamed Chishti
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
