The 50th Anniversary of Martin Luther King Jr.'s Assassination; The Dream He Had

We usually say that historical figures are remembered for their actions. What kind of person was Martin Luther King Jr.? To answer this question, it is better to first look at his biography to understand his actions, and then to recognize the philosophy behind those actions. Many judge Martin Luther King Jr. based on his life, which for them means his actions. Almost everything has been said about Martin Luther King Jr.'s personal and social life. However, not much has been written about his philosophy. Therefore, it seems that the answer to this question can only be obtained by studying the intellectual origins of Martin Luther King Jr.'s mind. To study Martin Luther King Jr.'s philosophy, one must examine his growth path from the son and grandson of a Baptist minister to becoming the messenger of "non-violence." He extracted something from this process that he later called "a revolution in the values" of American society. A revolution is a social, political, and cultural transformation through which people create values linked to their thoughts, feelings, and actions. For Martin Luther King Jr., this value was non-violence. The revolution that accompanied this value was the democratization of America. Therefore, without a doubt, Martin Luther King Jr.'s greatest achievement was his "non-violent" struggle against injustice. For Martin Luther King Jr., the non-violent movement of African Americans in the United States was an effort to make American democracy more democratic. At the same time, by articulating his desire to end racial discrimination and create solidarity, he sought to give a new meaning to the concept of democracy. The practical application of non-violence was never separate from his philosophical message of expanding love and justice. Martin Luther King Jr.'s re-examination and reconstruction of love in Christianity served as a powerful argument for the rights of African Americans, affirming his beliefs for a non-violent revolution. He challenged the social and political injustices of American society with ideas and values that aligned with the demands of humanism and the rights of all during that period. Undoubtedly, what the world needs today more than ever is the greater impact of Martin Luther King Jr.'s ideas. No other thought has been as influential and profoundly human as non-violence. What Václav Havel, the Czech politician and writer, described as the "power of the powerless" was the product of non-violence, and Martin Luther King Jr. knew this. By embracing and promoting this ideal, he turned non-violence into the main movement of the following decades. By studying his philosophy and intellectual foundations regarding love, justice, and racial equality, we find that what made him a genius and a great historical figure has now been developed and deepened by freedom fighters and thinkers around the world. Describing the sacrifices of Martin Luther King Jr., which transformed the course of history in America and the twentieth century, is practically impossible. However, by revisiting the foundations of his philosophy, we can recognize the true genius of his non-violent mindset and activities and analyze it in comparison to other influential leaders of the African American movement, such as Malcolm X. Both Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X were leaders of African Americans who had great aspirations. Their aspirations as African Americans not only attracted the attention of American society but also of freedom fighters around the world. Martin Luther King Jr. shaped his dream, but it was not under his ideal conditions; rather, it was influenced by the values and ideas he encountered. Therefore, to understand his philosophy, we must recognize the philosophy that shaped him. Only through examining his social, political, religious, and philosophical growth and formation can we grasp the essence of his thoughts and his great historical achievements. In fact, for Martin Luther King Jr., it was very simple to consider the theory of non-violence as an empowering philosophy and to be optimistic about its social and political feasibility, as he himself was a concrete symbol of its realization. His cultural background, excellent education, and keen social awareness provided the conditions for him to become a civil and spiritual leader of the equality movement in America at the right time. However, all these advantages and achievements could not have made Martin Luther King Jr. the leader of the civil rights movement if he had decided to stay in northern America and if Rosa Parks had not refused to give her seat to a white man. It was not just his acceptance of the pastoral position at Dexter Avenue Baptist Church in Montgomery that transformed the course of American history; at the same time, Martin Luther King Jr.'s personal life was transformed by unforeseen events, bringing him closer to the African American community in Montgomery. His knowledge as a Baptist minister who studied theology and philosophy enabled him to prepare for the historical role of leading a popular movement. He saw much more clearly than his contemporaries that racial discrimination was in conflict with American democracy. As a philosopher influenced by Hegel's works and dialectical analysis, he had a developmental and evolutionary understanding of American democracy. Martin Luther King Jr. created a new image of America, an image of compassion and justice that could overcome evils such as arrogance, pride, and discrimination. From his perspective, the concept of democracy meant more necessary actions against injustice. He explicitly stated the difference between democracy as a "soft document" and "hard action." This was reflected in his understanding of democracy as guiding principles for citizens' responsibilities. At the same time, he viewed democracy from a philosophical perspective that clearly distinguishes between justice and injustice. In defending the rights of African Americans to fight against injustice, he referred to several writers and thinkers, including Mahatma Gandhi, Reinhold Niebuhr, Socrates, Paul Tillich, and Saint Augustine. Martin Luther King Jr. participated in the struggle for the rights of African Americans and later against economic injustices in America, but he always hoped that, firstly, he would replace violence with non-violence in the civil rights movement and, secondly, extend the principles of democracy to social and economic spheres as well. In other words, his optimism about human nature was based on his belief in the dawn and progress of non-violence in human history and the institutionalization of reconciliation and a "beloved community." Thus, for Martin Luther King Jr., the non-violent movement of African Americans in the United States was an effort to make American democracy more democratic. At the same time, by articulating his desire to end racial discrimination and create solidarity, he sought to give a new meaning to the concept of democracy. In this way, he played a more significant role than any other contemporary American in laying the foundations of a revolution in the values of American society and, at the same time, our world. He created a new image of America, an image of compassion and justice that could overcome evils such as arrogance, pride, and discrimination.