Letter From Birmingham Jail

Is it better to follow laws that are unjust but right, or do the thing that is fair but are against the law? Socrates in Plato’s “The Crito” and Martin Luther King, Jr. in his “Letter from Birmingham Jail” answer this question from conflicting perspectives. According to Plato (427-423 BCE), Socrates believed that it is his duty to obey the law of his city, Athens, on all occasions, whereas King (1963) made the argument first put forth by St. Thomas Aquinas that “an unjust law is no law at all” (p. 69).

One of these reasons for the differing opinions on this subject is due to the times and places in which these two men existed and came to their views on Civil disobedience. Considering that there is no set in stone evidence of perfect justice

One just assumes that the person will obey the laws that have been set forth by that city. Assuming this is problematic in that there is no justifiable reason why one must obey the laws set by his or her state, other than the assumption that to disobey these laws will create problems that can lead to the breakdown of society. This point is certainly valid, yet it is not made clear rather as such implied throughout the conversation between Socrates and Crito. The underlying assumption is that men are like slaves, who must be ruled by one of a variety of systems; otherwise, each person as well as the city or state itself would suffer due to the lack of guidance in a society without laws. During the time of Socrates’ an open democracy was based on laws that a council of men deemed worthy of a vote and set in place to represent all citizens in that state (Athens). The general idea that Socrates and Crito seem to agree upon is that it is always right to follow all laws and always wrong to disobey all laws set for that state. If one makes this conclusion along with Socrates and Crito, it is easy to understand the their view on civil disobedience. Socrates has made a very strong argument as to why he must remain in jail and accepts his sentence of death, as a good citizen

It unquestionable, people have suffered violence, humiliation, injustice, or murder at the hands of their own city, or country would say they have suffered injustice and thus should be able to exercise their rights for civil disobedience, against the laws of the society they have entered into a social contract with. Citizens do have an un written law to oblige to the laws of the land they live in, yet at the same time the citizens have a greater job to ensure those laws are just to all those in the society of that nation. The people of a nation or a state should have the right to amend laws that are unjust. During the time of Civil Rights movement, it is the duty of all citizens to come together as one and to force their beliefs upon the authorities, provided that will is aimed at peace and represents a universal quest for justice and a greater way of