Violence: what history's greatest minds said

Riots, rebellion, war and nonviolence. What history's figures said about when force is justified and when it is not.

4 answers from 2 voices. Every answer quotes the figure's own words and links to the source. How we build answers.

Martin Luther King Jr.

What did MLK say about nonviolence?
Martin Luther King Jr. viewed nonviolence not as passive acceptance but as active spiritual resistance aimed at moral redemption and reconciliation, never humiliation, grounded in the belief that love alone could break cycles of hate.
What did MLK say about the Vietnam War?
Martin Luther King Jr. opposed the Vietnam War as a moral imperative, viewing it as destroying domestic programs and forcing Black Americans to fight for freedoms denied them at home.
Would MLK condemn riots?
MLK condemned riots as immoral and ineffective, but insisted on addressing their root causes of poverty and injustice. He advocated nonviolent mass action as the only strategy capable of achieving real change.

What did Jesus say about loving your enemies?
Jesus taught that loving enemies is a core spiritual practice that distinguishes genuine love from mere reciprocal affection, and that this love must extend to blessing those who curse you and praying for those who persecute you.

Ask any of these figures directly. Answers are grounded in primary sources, with every claim cited.