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The emotions of nonviolence : revisiting Martin Luther King Jr.'s "Letter from Birmingham Jail" / Meena Krishnamurthy.

Oxford Scholarship Online: History Available online

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Oxford Scholarship Online: Philosophy Available online

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Format:
Book
Author/Creator:
Krishnamurthy, Meena, author.
Series:
Oxford scholarship online.
Oxford scholarship online
Language:
English
Subjects (All):
King, Martin Luther, Jr., 1929-1968. Letter from Birmingham Jail.
King, Martin Luther.
Civil rights movements--Alabama--Birmingham--History--20th century--Sources.
Civil rights movements.
Segregation--United States--History--20th century.
Segregation.
Equality--United States--History--20th century.
Equality.
Dignity.
Nonviolence--United States--History--20th century.
Nonviolence.
Civil disobedience--Alabama--Birmingham--History--20th century.
Civil disobedience.
Physical Description:
1 online resource (291 pages)
Edition:
First edition.
Place of Publication:
New York, NY : Oxford University Press, [2025]
Summary:
"Letter from Birmingham Jail" is perhaps the most beloved and widely read work by Martin Luther King, Jr. Despite the countless publications on its conception and meaning, its broader philosophical significance is often missed. 'The Emotions of Nonviolence' offers a novel interpretation of the letter, which Meena Krishnamurthy argues is not merely a discussion of civil disobedience, but also an essay on political motivation. In this context, she shows how the letter seeks to answer a central question in democratic theory: namely, how can and ought we motivate the racially oppressed to engage in civil disobedience, what King called nonviolent direct action? King's answer, she says, is that we should appeal to and encourage the political emotions, both positive and negative.
Contents:
Cover
Half Title
Title Page
Copyright Page
Dedication
Contents
Series Editors' Foreword
Acknowledgments
Author's Note
Introduction: The Letter and Its Motivation
"The Letter"
Part 1 Background
1 Desegregation
2 Self-Reliance
3 Sensible Sermon
Part 2 Emotions
4 Fear and Fearlessness
5 Dignity and Indignation
6 Love
Part 3 Nonviolence
7 Nonviolence
8 Transformation
Postscript: Situating King: A Beginning
Bibliography
Index.
Notes:
Includes bibliographical references and index.
Description based on online resource and publisher information; title from PDF title page (viewed on January 27, 2025).
ISBN:
0-19-769726-7
0-19-769724-0
OCLC:
1491239596

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