Principles Of King's Notion Of Nonviolence

King’s notion of non violence had six key principles. He believed that nonviolence was the sole solution that “cured society’s evil and create a just society.” He was not necessarily against the whites, unlike Malcolm, but rather wanted to unify the population. His first principle was that one can resist evil without resorting to violence. According to King, the passion of a nonviolent protester is equivalent to the passion of a violent protester. The second principle mentioned that nonviolence seeks to win the “friendship and understanding of the opponent.” The purpose was not to humiliate the individual but to amalgamate the people, resulting in redemption and reconciliation instead of bitterness and chaos that came from violent resistance.
The fourth principle spoke about those who committed non violence, stating that they must be willing to suffer without retaliation as suffering itself can be redemptive. Nonviolence required the willingness to suffer. According to King, the end was the most important. Therefore if suffering was accepted, it lead to “tremendous educational and transforming possibilities.” Also, non violence is a powerful tool in changing the minds of opponents. In the fifth principle, he discusses on how his plan avoids “external physical violence” and “internal violence of spirit.” He stated that a “nonviolent resister not only refuses to shoot his opponent but he also refuses to hate him.” Instead, the resistor should be motivated by love in the sense of the Greek word ‘agape’. Agape means understand or “redeeming good will for all men.” Nonviolent resistance was that the “universe was on the side of justice” and resistors, doing justice, have a “cosmic companionship” with God who is on the side of trust. God played a significant role in King’s life as he was raised by a Baptist father, and he wanted the same for his supporters. The final principle adds on to the fifth point stating that a nonviolent resister must have a “deep faith in the future.” This principle stems from the conviction that “the universe is on the side of