O PROFETA AMERICANO: A INFLUÊNCIA DO PROFÉTICO EM MARTIN LUTHER KING JRO PROFETA AMERICANO: A INFLUÊNCIA DO PROFÉTICO EM MARTIN LUTHER KING JR

摘要

The foundations of U.S. civil rights pioneer Martin Luther King Jr.’s thought are as variedand diverse as his vision for a new American society. As a Baptist minister his ideas were of courseshaped by the Christian ideals of that faith. He was also influenced, however, by religious and secularideals from other traditions. In this article I discuss the effect of the work of the Jewish theologian andsocial philosopher Martin Buber on King’s philosophy. In particular, I examine how Buber’s notion of“the other” crept into King’s theories on social change and nonviolent action. This influence, whilenoted by King himself, is not often discussed in the context of where King’s mature philosophical visioncame from. Consequently, an examination of this connection is vital to understanding both the genesisand importance of King’s thought.