‘Summa Theologica’ by Thomas Aquinas
Written between 1265 and 1274, “The Summa Theologica” is Thomas Aquinas’ most well-known work. The unfinished books were meant as an instructional guide for moderate theologians. The topics follow a cycle: the existence of God; Creation, Man; Man’s Purpose; Christ; the Sacraments; and then circles back to God.
“The Summa” is most famous for its five arguments for the existence of God, though the arguments only take up 1 1/2 pages of the work’s 3,500 pages.
King also discussed Aquinas and his works in his writings housed in the Martin Luther King Jr. Center for Nonviolent Social Change.
‘The Prince’ by Niccolo Machiavelli
“The Prince” is a 16th-century work by political theorist Niccolò Machiavelli. “The Prince” is seen as one of the first works of modern philosophy in which the effective truth is taken to be more important than an abstract ideal. The book was in direct conflict with the dominant Catholic and scholastic doctrines of the time.
Machiavelli observed that the general population was ungrateful, fickle, false, cowardly and covetous. In his book, Machiavelli says, “As long as you remained in power, they are yours entirely: willing to put their lives on the line,” implying that it was better to be feared than loved. King was inspired to lead in an opposite manner than the theorist described.
