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Compare And Contrast Martin Luther King From Birmingham Jail

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While incarcerated in Birmingham jail, Martin Luther King Jr. proposes that there are two types of law. He states that a law can either be just or unjust, and that morals and religious ideals are what determine a just or unjust law. This seems to be a very simple concept to grasp, but Martin Luther King Jr. delves deeper and provides examples.He states that laws concerned with the betterment of human personality are considered just, while anything degrading human personality would be an unjust law. He goes on the say that segregation is a clear example of an unjust law the destroys human personality,and even states that segregation is a sinful act of separation. King tells us that unjust laws are laws that are created by the majority in order to rule the minority, that being denied basic rights are unjust laws, and that some laws can be just or unjust depending on the circumstances. …show more content…

The law that held him there states that to parade in town, an individual or group must have a permit. King did not have this permit, however King believes that the law was used by the government to maintain segregation. This misuse of power was brought up by King when he also referred to Ancient Roman laws against the christians, and Adolf Hitler’s laws allowing him to rise in power. He does this to show us as readers/listeners that laws are not perfect,an can be manipulated, and that it is okay to stand up to any unjust law in a peaceful way while also knowing that there will be consequences to those actions. Consequences that Martin Luther King Jr. was ready and willing to

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Others might say all leaders are rebels because they perform illegal actions to get what they want. For example, King, Martin Luther Jr., Letter from Birmingham Jail, states, “But I am sure that if I had lived in Germany during this time, I would have aided and comforted my Jewish brothers even though it was illegal.” This means Mr.King would’ve helped unexplored Jews in Hitler 's Germany even if it meant going against the law. This shows Mr.King, a leader representing rebellion as he states he wouldn 't have a problem braking authority. Nevertheless not all leaders are rebels.

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(Paragraph 4). This drew the clergymen’s attention to King’s beliefs and possibly made them realize the flaws in the system. King also states, “A just law is a man-made code that squares with the moral or the law of God. An unjust law is a code that is out of harmony with the moral law…” (Paragraph 5).

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Just laws apply to everyone, but unjust laws do not apply to everyone. So segregation laws are unjust. He also use example to show that some law can be just on paper, but applied unjustly. Therefore, we must break unjust laws because that shows the highest respect for

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570 Words | 3 Pages

Letter of Birmingham Jail and Civil Disobedience Henry David Thoreau and Martin Luther King Jr. both tried to fight for their rights to go against the authority if there is any social injustice. Thoreau took the duty and responsibility of the people to protest and take action against the laws of the government. Although, King communicates to his people about the laws or the government against the blacks are intolerable and that “Civil Disobedience” should have an instrument of freedom. They both incredibly illustrate their thought that “Civil Disobedience” is a needed thing, and the similarities and differences of these two essays at portrayed through the time, people, speaker, tone, and strategies. Thoreau’s “Civil Disobedience,” was wrote in the U.S. during the transcendentalism time around 1837 to about the 1840’s.

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760 Words | 4 Pages

Dr. Martin Luther King and Frederick Roosevelt are both strong powered speakers of equal rights. These two amazing people have talked and fought for equal rights of every human being. With that, they’ve both have similarities in their amazing speeches letter from Birmingham Jail by Martin Luther King and four freedoms speech by Roosevelt. In 1963, MLK wrote a remarkable letter to the clergyman following his arrest In Birmingham. Whereas in 1941, Roosevelt published a speech to Congress on the state of the union.

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1040 Words | 5 Pages

Martin Luther King discusses many philosophical principles in the “Letter from a Birmingham Jail” that relates with Aquinas discussion about law. Most of Martin Luther King’s philosophical ideas have to deal with natural law. According to Aquinas natural law is promulgated by reason and also rational participation in the eternal law. But in “Letter from a Birmingham Jail” we can see how human law is connected to natural law always.

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1845 Words | 8 Pages

Civil Disobedience Compare and Contrast Henry Thoreau and Martin Luther King both wrote persuasive discussions that oppose many ideals and make a justification of their cause, being both central to their argument. While the similarity is obvious, the two essays, Civil Disobedience by Thoreau and Letter from a Birmingham Jail by Martin Luther King Jr. do have some similarities. King tries persuading white, southern clergymen that segregation is an evil, unfair law that ought to defeat by use of agitation of direct protesting. Thoreau, on the other hand, writes to a broader, non-addressed audience, and focuses more on the state itself. He further accepts it at its current state, in regard to the battle with Mexico and the institution of slavery.

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Lewis was inspired to make a difference after hearing Martin Luther King Jr.’s sermon on the radio. He believed in this quote from the Bible: “Let no man despise thy youth; but be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity” (2 Timothy 4:12 KJV). Lewis did not let anyone doubt his knowledge due to his youth. God uses young people like the members of SNCC to bring equality for all. Their goals similar to Lewis’ was to speed up the progress of civil rights.

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King's wordings in his speeches and statements were often edited in an evil way to try and give him a bad figure. He answered these critics by explaining laws versus "just" laws. In the letter he explains how violation of a parade permit can place him in jail and his rights from the Fifth Admendment give him no protection. He states how a law cannot be "democratically structured" when the minority have no part in creating it because of discriminatory practices. These forms of equivocation for example his appeals to appropriate authority gave him strong philosophical sense.

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King makes the point that a law is just if it follows the Law of God and Unjust if it doesn’t. King goes on further to explain a just law is a law that a “power majority group” wants a minority group to follow and is willing to follow the same law itself. On the other end of the spectrum an unjust law would be if the Majority group isn’t willing to follow the same law they are requiring a minority group to follow. With all of Kings bashing of laws in the letter King takes a step back to clarify that he doesn’t want everyone to go out and break the law, he says this would lead to anarchy. He also says “One who breaks an unjust law must do so openly, lovingly, and with a willingness to accept the penalty.”

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In the eyes of Martin Luther King Jr., Justice within a society is achieved through the implementation of just laws. Furthermore, “just laws are regulations that have been created by man that follow the laws of God for man” (“Clergymen’s Letter”). Any law that does not correspond with the ideals of God and morality are considered to be unjust or a form of injustice. King identifies that injustice is clearly evident within the justice system. This injustice can truly be seen through the misconduct imposed toward the African American community.

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1119 Words | 5 Pages

philosophizes that if we, as human beings, forgo our instincts at the service of something higher, justice will prevail. In “A Letter From a Birmingham Jail,” he asserts that there are certain permanent truths which will never evaporate. These truths will always stand firm as fundamental principles which justify what is morally right and wrong, just and unjust. King deliberates that “the yearning for freedom eventually manifests itself” (“Letter,” p. 771). Furthermore, Martin Luther King, Jr. declares that there are universal and borderless Gospels of Freedom and Justice, which resound in the natural constitution of every human person, and are uplifted, fulfilled, and dignified by the divine wisdom of

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825 Words | 4 Pages

As Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. states, "it is rather strange and paradoxical to find us consciously breaking laws;" this statement corresponds with Dr. King Jr.  agreeing with St. Augustine’s statement that "an unjust law is no law at all." In 1954 during the

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