🌅 Martin Luther King Jr.’s Vision Made Love a Moral Imperative

SOURCE

Inwood (2018)

WHAT TO KNOW

• Martin Luther King Jr. believed love and nonviolence were essential to remedying racial inequality in the U.S., arguing that loving one another is a fundamental aspect of building communities that work for all people, not just the few at the expense of the many. In a 1957 sermon, King discussed three different types of love: eros, romantic love; philia, the reciprocal affection between friends and family; and agape, the highest form of love. King described agape as a “spontaneous” and “unmotivated” type of love that’s “indifferent to human merit.” He also placed it at the center of his fight for social justice.

WHY IT MATTERS

• To King, love was a central principle of nonviolence, and agape established a moral imperative to engage with one’s oppressor in a way that shows the oppressor what they’re doing is wrong and detracts from society. As King often noted, all people exist in interrelated communities and all are reliant on each other, and by connecting love to community, we create opportunities to build a more just and economically stable society that respects differences and strives for inclusivity.

CONNECT THE DOTS

• One pillar of King’s vision of social justice was pluralism, i.e., the idea that multiple communities must engage with one another, acknowledge their differences and shared bonds, and strive to create a better society. Beyond racial and religious pluralism, a lesser-known part of King’s vision also advocated for economic pluralism, including instituting a universal basic income. Research shows support for a universal basic income is generally high, including among white Americans and those with low incomes. However, there’s one notable group of Americans who consistently oppose a universal basic income: those with higher levels of racial resentment.