To Shape a New World: Essays on the Political Philosophy of Martin Luther King, Jr. - Softcover

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0674237838 ISBN 13: 9780674237834

Publisher: Belknap Press: An Imprint of Harvard University Press, 2020

Synopsis

Martin Luther King, Jr., is one of America’s most revered figures, yet despite his mythic stature, the significance of his political thought remains underappreciated. In this indispensable reappraisal, leading scholars―including Cornel West, Martha Nussbaum, and Danielle Allen―consider the substance of his lesser known writings on racism, economic inequality, virtue ethics, just-war theory, reparations, voting rights, civil disobedience, and social justice and find in them an array of compelling challenges to some of the most pressing political dilemmas of our time.

“King was not simply a compelling speaker, but a deeply philosophical intellectual... We still have much to learn from him.”
―Quartz

“While his birthday has become a national holiday and schoolchildren across the nation and the world know the words of his most famous speeches, there are still many aspects of his life and work that remain lesser known.”
―Time

“A compelling work of philosophy, all the more so because it treats King seriously without inoculating him from the kind of critique important to both his theory and practice.”
―Los Angeles Review of Books

“Reimagines King as a political thinker for our―and for all―time.”
―The Point

About this title

About the Author

Tommie Shelby is Caldwell Titcomb Professor of African and African American Studies and of Philosophy at Harvard University. Brandon M. Terry is Assistant Professor of African and African American Studies and of Social Studies at Harvard University.

Review

“Fascinating and instructive...Shelby and Terry may offer the best solution to the pain of thinking about King and our loss of him...King’s philosophy, speaking to us through the written word, may turn out to constitute his most enduring legacy.”―Annette Gordon-Reed, New York Review of Books

“To Shape a New World firmly situates Dr. King in the canon of American political thought. An extraordinary group of scholars grapple with the subtlety and nuance of King’s political philosophy, and they set the stage for a renewed engagement with his broader work. This is a must-read in our time.”―Eddie S. Glaude, Princeton University

“The collection brings together a series of impressive scholars―Cornel West, Martha Nussbaum, and Robert Gooding-Williams among them―to look at King’s understudied writings on economic inequality, just-war theory, and voting rights...To Shape a New World is a compelling work of philosophy, all the more so because it treats King seriously without inoculating him from the kind of critique important to both his theory and practice.”―Shivani Radhakrishnan, Los Angeles Review of Books

“To Shape a New World is a milestone in the study of Martin Luther King, Jr., essentially a sanctified figure in American life, whose actual ideas are rarely interrogated in any depth, either in the public realm or in academic circles. What makes this volume particularly striking is the exceptionally high quality of the essays, which are analytically rigorous, impressively researched, and often profoundly original. They highlight the limits of common narratives about King and the civil rights movement, showing the shifts in his own thinking and the unconventional nature of many of his arguments. This is a path-breaking book.”―Aziz Rana, Cornell University

“This is a powerful and invaluable collection of essays on Dr. King. I hope it will inspire an entirely new generation of readers to go back and immerse themselves in Dr. King’s language and thought and hear and heed his prophetic voice.”―Marian Wright Edelman, President, Children’s Defense Fund

“King’s theology, philosophy, and nonviolent prophetic engagement are needed now more than any time since his death. In his last speech, Dr. King said that when it comes to the struggle for love and justice, ‘nothing would be more tragic than for us to turn back now.’ We must embrace his challenge in this moment and commit to go forward together, not one step back.”―Rev. Dr. William J. Barber II

“While his birthday has become a national holiday and schoolchildren across the nation and the world know the words of his most famous speeches, there are still many aspects of his life and work that remain lesser known.”―Time

“Looks at the work of Dr. King as a philosopher, rather than a political figure. By examining some lesser-known writings, the authors draw the conclusion that Dr. King was a much more radical thinker than his watered-down legacy would suggest.”―Vox

“King was not simply a compelling speaker, but a deeply philosophical intellectual...King drew on theological, economic, and historical ideas to inform his philosophical thinking...We still have much to learn from him.”―Olivia Goldhill, Quartz

“King’s own scholarship is refreshingly illuminated in To Shape a New World.”―Colin Grant, Prospect

About this edition

• Publisher: Belknap Press: An Imprint of Harvard University Press
• Publication date: 2020
• ISBN 10: 0674237838
• ISBN 13: 9780674237834
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 464
• Editor: Shelby Tommie, Terry Brandon M.