Outline & Further Research

To be frank, I feel like this project is a doctoral dissertation. Considering the amount of time, research, and concepts I've poured into this project I may as well write a book when I finish. So maybe I will in the future.

This weekend I have diligently worked on compiling a comprehensive outline including themes in terms misinterpretations of King's intentions and identified four individuals who greatly impacted King's philosophy and methodology:

• Josiah Royce
• Mahatma Gandhi
• Howard Thurman
• Thich Nhat Hanh

I identified terms that are to be defined and questions I intend to answer. The (current) questions:

• What were King's intentions for his efforts?
• What does King's Dream look like?
• What indications are proof King's Dream has been realized?

Library Research Today

I spent time today at the Downtown San Diego Library on the JSTOR database. I found seven articles that I will review and hopefully use to support the project. In addition, I checked-out a newly released book To Shape A New World which might be helpful, but it seems as though the book is more of a political view rather than the objective, end result view of MLK's philosophy and methodology the project will examine.

http://www.hup.harvard.edu/catalog.php?isbn=9780674980754

Religion in Modern Society

Science, Religion, and Purposes

https://kinginstitute.stanford.edu/king-papers/documents/three-essays-religion

Three essays written by King between 1948 and 1951 are indicative of his religious philosophy and spiritual purpose. The first essay, King specifies the specific separate purposes of science and religion and that there is not conflict between the two. In the second document, he points to two important figures for the foundation of his philosophy: Harry Emerson Fosdick, one of the most prominent liberal American ministers, and Paul Tillich, an influential German-American philosopher and theologian both impacting 20th century American Christianity. The final of the three essays speaks to the purposes of Christianity and the role of man in the world. He mentions Gautama Buddha and gives a general idea that God's intent for Christians is to use what they have where they are to make a cohesive and loving society.

Additional Project Resources

The King Center (Philosophy page):

http://www.thekingcenter.org/king-philosophy

"Remembering Martin Luther King, Jr,--His Life and Crusade in Pictures"
by: Charles Johnson and Bob Adelman
LIFE books

"Civil Rights Chronicle--The African-American Struggle for Freedom"
by: (Consultant) Clayborne Carson, Ph.D.--Director, MLK Papers Project
Forward by: Myrlie Evers-Williams
Legacy Publications

"Gandhi"
by: Peter Rühe
Phaidon Publications

Deer Park Monastery

Today I spent a good portion of time at the 400-acre Deer Park Monastery in Escondido, CA. Established in 2000 by the Plum Village four-fold Sanga under the guidance and direction of Thich Nhat Hanh ("Thay"), the monastery is home to over fifty monastics and opened to the public for the day on Sundays and retreats by appointment. The day was spent practicing mindfulness and sharing of the Dharma with monks and nuns of the Zen tradition, as well as lay practitioners and visitors of various traditions from around the world.

Project Resources

Attached are guiding sources for the project:

King statement with direct reference to his philosophy:

https://kinginstitute.stanford.edu/king-papers/documents/statement-press-beginning-youth-leadership-conference

Interactions with Thay:

https://plumvillage.org/news/apostles-of-peace/

King denouncing the Vietnam war:

https://historynewsnetwork.org/article/165603


About Josiah Royce:

https://www.iep.utm.edu/roycejos/

King "I have a Dream" Speech:

https://www.archives.gov/files/press/exhibits/dream-speech.pdf

Oprah interview with Thay:

RFK speech following King's assasination:

The Philosophy of MLK

The Philosophy of Martin Luther King Jr.

Why his movement was effective

I am currently entering my second year at San Diego Miramar College and I have decided to take History 110 (American History 1865-Present) with honors. For the honors project, I will examine the philosophy and methodology implemented by one of the most memorable leaders in American history, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. My current understanding is a guide in diving deeper to locate substantial insight that has verified surface observations: Dr. King transcended the presented problem to find the solution.

The plan is to start with Dr. King's influences including the philosophy of Josiah Royce (King quoted him several times--"Create the beloved community") then move onto philosophies of other movements and their effectiveness (including Malcolm X and his realizations after his pilgrimage). The project will focus heavily on his interactions with Thich Nhat Hanh and the similarities in their philosophies because it is my assertion that Thich Nhat Hanh ("Thay") carried on the work of Dr. King, his friend and fellow Bodhisattva (One who facilitates awakening in humanity).

The project will conclude exhibiting the culmination that King's legacy has yet to come, that places such as Thich Nhat Hanh's monastery in California (and others) are parts of the impact of Dr. King's legacy.