The Martin Luther King Jr. Center for Nonviolent Social Change
Note Cards
Education was essential in the development of the mind of Martin Luther King, Jr. From his matriculation at Morehouse College through his doctoral studies at Boston University, Dr. King took notes on various subjects and referenced some of the most important philosophers of all time. The note cards shown in this section give you a glimpse into the molding of one of the world’s most brilliant thinkers and orators. Religion, natural law, metaphysics and the meaning of wisdom are just a few of the topics highlighted. These subjects and many more helped Dr. King’s capacity to expand his intellectual and spiritual capacity three dimensionally.
Schleiermacher (Dogmas & Creeds)
Dr. King references Friedrich Schleiermacher's notions of dogmas and creeds, stating that they are mere descriptions of feeling.
Ritschl (God)
Dr. King quotes Albrecht Ritschl’s “The Christian Doctrine of Justification and Reconciliation.”
Berkeley, George
Dr. King notes Berkeley's views on metaphysics.
Social Ethics
Dr. King writes about "Social Ethics" as discussed in the second chapter of the Old Testament book, Malachi.
Liberalism
Dr. King notes a view of liberalism in Harry Emerson Fosdick’s “The Modern Use of the Bible.”
The Third Level of Ontological Concepts
Dr. King writes notes regarding the third level of ontological concepts, which "expresses the characteristics of being which are conditions of existence."
Suffering (Illustration)
Dr. King uses a Lily Dougall story from “God and the Struggle for Existence” as an example of suffering.
Scientific Method (Definition)
Dr. King quotes Henry Nelson Wieman’s article “Authority and the Normative Approach” in the Journal of Religion for a definition of the scientific method. He used this quote in his doctoral dissertation, “A Comparison of the Conceptions of God in the Thinking of Paul Tillich and Henry Nelson Wieman.”
Trinitarianism
Dr. King discusses the doctrine trinitarianism, the belief that God is one being, existing in three equal persons.
Machiavelli
Dr. King disagrees with Machiavelli's notion that political morality should be separated from social morality. Dr. King uses a quote from Heinrich von Treitschke to further analyze the issue.
Tests of Great Music
Dr. King lists five criteria to use to evaluate whether a piece of music is great. Great music should hold its appeal over time, connect different experiences, foster a deeper life experience, unify history and integrate the individual personality.
Eisenhower - Views on the Racial Question
Dr. King notes General Dwight D. Eisenhower's justification of racial segregation during Eisenhower's 1948 testimony before a Senate subcommittee.
History: Ecclesiastes
Dr. King examines the "author's philosophy of history" recorded in the biblical text Ecclesiastes 1:9. He notes that Ecclesiastes' view of history as "a series of endless cycles which has no underlying theology" is in stark contrast to general Bible philosophy, and is more in line with a Greek view of history.
Materialism
Dr. King quotes Hugh Elliott’s “Modern Science and Materialism.”
Prayer (Definition)
Dr. King quotes William James' definition of Prayer.
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