Nonviolence Essay, Research Paper
Martin Luther King Junior, an icon in the civil rights movement, stood for six main principles of nonviolence. The six principles were the guideline and the key to his success in making substantial improvements in the world of segregation and public prejudice. Martin Luther King Junior believed that nonviolence: was a way of life for courageous people, sought way to win friendship and understanding, sought a way to defeat prejudice and not people, held that suffering could educate and transform, chose live instead of hate, and believed that the universe was on the side of fate. These principles will be glanced at in the following paragraphs.
Nonviolence is a way of life for courageous people. This statement is simply saying that a man of this belief does not have to resort to violent means, which intern gains him a somewhat higher moral authority regarding the matter. Someone who consistently lashes out physically in disagreement is on a lower moral level, and is quite obviously not making a valid attempt to cure the deficiency.
Nonviolence seeks to win friendship and understanding. This says that violence is not progressive, but in fact against progress. Nonviolent means not only express an opinion about an issue, but also do not push relationships backwards. Nonviolent means attempt at friendship, whether successful or not. Nonviolence is not filled with rage, which allows the opposite party to ponder the ideas of the expresser.
Nonviolence seeks to defeat injustice, not people. If someone disapproves of something, and they do so nonviolently, there is only room to move forward. On the other hand, however, if someone chooses the easiest way, the
only closes the minds of the opposing person, but acts as a catalyst towards their anger. Nonviolence targets the issue, not the supporting party of that issue.
Nonviolence holds that suffering can educate and transform. This is for the good of both parties. In the bus boycotts, everyone suffered. The bus owners, the employers, as well as the boycotters suffered. This eventually taught them all lesson. The blacks learned that their nonviolence was very productive after a year, and the owners and employers learned that they should have been more receptive to the ideas and issues of the blacks.
Nonviolence chooses love instead of hate. It is quite clear that striking a man over his opposite view is hate-filled. This would not provide a gateway toward friendship, unlike the way of a nonviolent man. It would only make issues even harder to discuss civilly.
Nonviolence believes that the universe is on the side of violence. Dr. King thought that eventually God would prevail in the way of moral value. Even if human laws went against these values, Dr. King thought that good would eventually supercede evil.
These brief descriptions of Dr. Martin Luther King Junior?s six principles of nonviolence provide some detail and examples of each principle?s application. Dr. King practiced, as well as preached these six principles up until his death in mid 1968. He was well versed in nonviolence, and was prosecuted many times for his practices. In practicing these six principles, Dr. King did gain much moral authority, and it would seem that he was found to be correct in his principle that stated that the universe was on the side of justice, as we can see today.