Martin Luther King and Nonviolence

Paper Summary:

This paper discusses King's essay, "Nonviolence and the Montgomery Boycott," which goes to great lengths to define and illustrate the many ways people can be effective while being passive. This paper explains how his goal was to inspire others to stand up for their rights in such a way that was not only respectable, but effective. He believed in civil rights for African-Americans, and he believed in peace, as well.

From the Paper:

"King first points out how important is to realize that just because a person is being nonviolent, it does not mean that he or she is passively accepting evil. He clarifies that the nonviolent resister is passive only in the sense that he or she is not "physically aggressive toward his opponent" and his or her "mind and emotions are always active, constantly seeking to persuade his opponent that he is wrong" (King 265). He also asserts that nonviolence does not "seek to defeat or humiliate the opponent, but to win his friendship and understanding" (265). Additionally, King states that nonviolence is a method that is aimed at a particular evil "rather than against persons who happen to be doing the evil" (265). King also reminds African Americans that nonviolent resistance is a "willingness to accept suffering without retaliation" and that a nonviolent resister refuses to hate his or her opponent. (266) "

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