To Shape a New World

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