The Emotions of Nonviolence

Meena Krishnamurthy's The Emotions of Nonviolence offers a novel interpretation of Martin Luther King, Jr.'s beloved "Letter from Birmingham Jail." She argues that it is not merely a discussion of civil disobedience, but an essay on political motivation. Seen this way, the Letter seeks to answer a central question in democratic theory: namely, how can and ought we motivate the racially oppressed to engage in what King called nonviolent direct action? King's answer is to appeal to and encourage the political emotions, both positive and negative. Fear, courage, faith, dignity, indignation, and love can together motivate nonviolent action and can reciprocally motivate and sustain these same emotions.