Ideology: "Any comprehensive and mutually consistent set of ideas by which s social group makes sense of the world. An ideology needs to provide some explanation of how things have come to be as they are, some indication of where they are heading (to provide a guide to action), criteria for distinguishing truth from falsehood and valid arguments from invalid, and some overriding belief, whether in God, Providence, or History, to which adherents may make a final appeal when challenged by outsiders" (Mclean p 233).
             This paper will explore the political ideology of Martin Luther King. The nature of my interest arises from prior knowledge of Dr. King. As I went through Martin Luther King's biography I did not find a specific reference that suggested that he was associated to any political ideology. In order for me to categorize Martin Luther King into a particular ideology I needed to first express what his framework of ideals were like. I needed to understand the social problems that mattered to him and which issues he stood up for. I will draw parallels between King and John Locke to support my thesis. What was Martin Luther King's political ideology? My first speculation is that Martin Luther King Jr. was a liberal.
             The liberal ideology teaches that "government intervention into individual and social life is sometimes necessary to prevent some individuals from denying freedom to others and that economic inequality is to be regarded with suspicion, as a condition likely to undermine the welfare of those who have lower incomes and thus to erode their chances of being free." (Grigsby p.89) I think that King associated to this ideology because he believed that government reform could eventually achieve greater social changes. Martin Luther King complements the concept of liberalism because he too believed that government intervention was essential in order to creat
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