Martin Luther King Jr Ethics

Ethics teaches us that we have a set of moral guidelines that enables us to from our conscience which then allows us to live a righteous life. One exemplary figure who was able to define what ethics is throughout his life, is Martin luther King. Martin Luther King Jr. was a minister, a civil rights activist, and a moral person. He fought for the rights of African Americans who were greatly prejudiced in America during the nineteen fifties and nineteen sixties. He fought to terminate segregation and to aid the African Americans who were subjected to bias within America. Martin Luther King Jr. had an ethical set of beliefs that clearly influenced his life and they were that violence is never the answer, to stay dedicated to your passions and

Martin Luther King Jr. displays ethical behavior through his belief that violence is wrong and never the answer. Violence is behavior intended to hurt or damage someone or something. There are many examples of Martin luther King supporting the idea of peace and nonviolence. He once said, "Nonviolence means avoiding not only external physical violence but also internal violence of spirit. You not only refuse to shoot a man, but you refuse to hate him"(King). He said this while preaching during one of his sermons in a church in Montgomery, Alabama. Dr. King further defines what violence means in this quote. He explains that peace not only means excluding oneself from physical attacks of violence, but violent internal thoughts as well. As well as preaching sermons of peace, Martin Luther King also created ideas for peaceful protests. An example as one of these protests was the Montgomery Bus Boycott. Dr. King organized this boycott in 1955 after Rosa Parks was arrested for not moving to the back of the bus for a white man. The protest plan consisted of African Americans no longer using the bus systems, and this resulted in a loss of profits for bus companies. This protest was simple but effective. Instead of fueling a protest with anger, Martin Luther King was able to innovate a peaceful protest that was very effective. Even when people were upset over the boycott and bombed four churches and his home, Dr. King still preached of nonviolence and peace.

Martin Luther King Jr. had the ethical belief of forgiveness and love. This belief is clearly shown through his peaceful speeches and protests. Forgiveness is the process of moving on, and the process of discarding the mental block that stops us from loving others. Dr. King said, “He, who is devoid of the power to forgive, is devoid of the power to love”(King). He said this in his sermon titled “Loving Your Enemies.” In this quote, Dr. King explains that if you lack the ability to forgive someone for hurting you, then you lack the ability to love. If you build up a grudge against someone it will be a burden on your life, and it will make your life much harder. Martin Luther King lived by the ethical belief of forgiveness. There are many examples, like when he was jailed for eleven days, or when his house was burned down by angry white Americans. Even after all of the hardships, he was still able to preach and speak of forgiveness and love, especially for your enemies. If anything, Martin Luther King grew stronger with every obstacle that was thrown at him because he was able to forgive and overcome them. The belief of gaining strength through love and forgiveness is the last of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s many ethical views.

In conclusion, Martin Luther King Jr. had an ethical set of beliefs that clearly influenced his life and they were that violence is never the answer, to stay dedicated to your passions and dreams, and to gain strength through love