Quotessence
Home / Books / A Martin Luther King Treasury

A Martin Luther King Treasury

Book by Martin Luther King, Jr. · 21 quotes · Inspirational, Men, Nonviolent Resistance

Filter quotes by topic

AllInspirationalMenNonviolent ResistancePeopleResistanceStruggleWisdomBlackBlack HistoryBusEconomyEvilJudgingLiberalismMovementOppressedPoliticsQualityAgapeAutomobile

A Martin Luther King Treasury Quotes

“With all of its false assumptions and evil methods, communism grew as a protest against the hardships of the underprivileged. Communism in theory emphasized a classless society, and a concern for social justice, though the world knows from sad experience that in practice it created new classes and a new lexicon of injustice.”

KnowsWorldWisdomEvilPoliticsSocialJusticeClassPracticeEconomyTheoryGrewConcernMethodSocial JusticeInjusticeCommunismAssumptionLiberalismProtestHardshipUnderprivilegedLexiconFalse AssumptionsNew ClassClassless Society
Book:A Martin Luther King Treasury
Create image

“Capitalism is always in danger of inspiring men to be more concerned about making a living than making a life. We are prone to judge success by the index of our salaries or the size of our automobiles, rather than by the quality of our service and relationship to humanity-thus capitalism can lead to a practical materialism that is as pernicious as the materialism taught by communism.”

MenWisdomHumanityPoliticsQualityEconomyDangerTaughtJudgingCapitalismConcernedSizePracticalsCommunismLiberalismMaterialismSalaryAutomobilePerniciousMaking A Living
Book:A Martin Luther King Treasury
Create image

“Agape is disinterested love. . . . Agape does not begin by discriminating between worthy and unworthy people, or any qualities people possess. It begins by loving others for their sakes. . . . Therefore, agape makes no distinction between friend and enemy; it is directed toward both.”

PeopleDoeFaithQualityEnemySakeWorthyDistinctionUnworthyDisinterestedLoving OthersFriends And EnemiesAgapeDisinterested Love
Book:A Martin Luther King Treasury
Create image

“The use of violence in our struggle would be both impractical and immoral. To meet hate with retaliatory hate would do nothing but intensify the existence of evil in the universe. Hate begets hate; violence begets violence; toughness begets a greater toughness. We must meet the forces of hate with the power of love; we must meet physical force with soul force. Our aim must never be to defeat or humiliate the white man, but to win his friendship and understanding.”

MenSoulUseWould BeHateUniverseEvilWinningForceUnderstandingWhiteExistenceStruggleGreaterViolenceAimDefeatWhite ManImmoralBegetsPower Of LoveToughnessHumiliatePhysical ForceSoul Force
Book:A Martin Luther King Treasury
Create image

“The intellectual and moral satisfaction that I failed to gain from the utilitarianism of Bentham and Mill, the revolutionary methods of Marx and Lenin, the social contract theory of Hobbes, the "back to nature" optimism of Rousseau, and the superman philosophy of Nietzsche, I found in the nonviolent resistance philosophy of Gandhi. I came to feel that this was the only morally and practically sound method open to oppressed people in their struggle for freedom.”

PeopleFeelsPhilosophyFoundSocialSoundMoralStruggleTheoryIntellectualGainsOptimismMethodSatisfactionResistanceRevolutionaryContractsOppressedMillsPeacemakingAhimsaHobbesSocial ContractNonviolent ResistanceUtilitarianismStruggle For Freedom
Book:A Martin Luther King Treasury
Create image

“The majority of the Negroes who took part in the year-long boycott of Montgomery's buses were poor and untutored; but they understood the essence of the Montgomery movement; one elderly woman summed it up for the rest. When asked after several weeks of walking whether she was tired, she answered: "My feet is tired, but my soul is at rest.”

YearsLongSoulBlackPoorWeekFeetMovementWalkingUnderstoodEssenceMajorityTiredMy SoulBusElderlyBlack HistoryBoycottMontgomery
Book:A Martin Luther King Treasury
Create image

“Even when the polls are open to all, Negroes have shown themselves too slow to exercise their voting privileges. There must be a concerted effort on the part of Negro leaders to arouse their people from their apathetic indifference.... In the past, apathy was a moral failure. Today, it is a form of moral and political suicide.”

PeopleTodayPastFormPoliticalBlackEffortLeaderMoralExerciseSuicidePrivilegeIndifferenceVotingApathyPollsBlack HistoryApatheticMoral Failure
Book:A Martin Luther King Treasury
Create image

“I will always remember my delight when Mrs. Georgia Gilmore - an unlettered woman of unusual intelligence - told how an operator demanded that she get off the bus after paying her fare and board it again by the back door, and then drove away before she could get there. She turned to Judge Carter and said: "When they count the money, they do not know Negro money from white money.”

KnowsSaidRememberBlackWhiteDoorsJudgingDelightBoardsBusUnusualBlack HistoryCarterGeorgiaOperatorsBack Doors
Book:A Martin Luther King Treasury
Create image