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Discuss The Similarities Between Civil Disobedience And Martin Luther King

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Recommended: Compare Thoreau's "Civil Disobedience" with Martin Luther King's "A Letter from Birmingham Jail.

2. Thoreau refers to civil disobedience as not simply a right, but as a duty merely because individuals are responsible for the actions taken by the government. The government is only what the people let it be, and it can be corrupted and abused if men allow it be. He believes men have “the right to refuse allegiance to, and to resist, the government, when its tyranny or its inefficiency are great and unendurable.” (942). Thoreau alleges people have the right to oppose an oppressive government, it is their duty to rebel against it. If a government does not serve its purpose of protection and fair treatment, the duty of its citizens would be to overrun it. An individual 's liberty is conveyed through its government, by allowing a tyranny, men are giving up their right to think and act for themselves. He declares that if the government mandates the people to follow unfair laws. the people should break those laws. 4. Thoreau …show more content…

11. Thoreau’s “Civil Disobedience” and Martin Luther King Jr.’s “Letter from Birmingham Jail” have very similar structures and purposes. These two pieces of work were written during a period in time where there was great concern for social injustice. Both items were written either in jail, or during a short stay there. The purpose of the authors was to pursuade the reader into supporting civil disobedience and to improve the world around them. However, King does not only argue for taking action against civil injustice, but also to defend his name and organization. King’s purpose for his letter includes a justifiction for being Birmingham “because injustice is here” (292). Martin Luther King Jr. claims he was called to Birminham because of their social repression, and their need for help. Nevertheless, both authors appeal large audieces with their articles. Although King and Thoreau convey their message towards large audiences, Thoreau aims to appeal and refer mostly to the U.S and its citizens while King is concerned about the world as a

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