In King’s essay, “Letter From Birmingham Jail”, King brilliantly employs the use of several strategies that are pivotal in successfully influencing critics of his philosophical views on civil disobedience. In the letter, King expresses his extreme disappointment over the criticism of his leadership by Alabama clergymen, his understanding of why oppressed people must resist their oppression, and his deep faith in the fundamental decency of all Americans. King implements idea from philosophers, such as Socrates, to make his dissertation. King begins with differentiating between just and unjust laws. He states that a just law is a man-made code that squares with the moral code, while an unjust law is out of harmony with the moral code. He states …show more content…
Plato philosophies were tailored from the mentorship from Socrates where he was one of the esteemed student reflecting Socrates ideologies. Both King and Plato drove at demolition and revealing the social injustices as viewed from King’s letter while held custody in Birmingham. Dr. King wrote this letter to counter the critic ideologies that nullified his nonviolent movements in this region by the clergymen. Besides, in Plato’s Crito, he detests Socrates fleeing away from his term thus to save his skin which has been replicated in King’s letter and actions. Both are enthusiastic about ending injustices. Descartes believed in ethics and especially moral standards that uphold the free will of others. King dislikes the mandated racist laws only adjusted by the oppressors. Both philosophers respect equality that enhances the self in humans through which King argues that the blacks should be allowed to say what they truly believe. King detests the unjust man-made laws that infringe on God’s free given rights that Descartes presents on his metaphysics abstract …show more content…
This is showcased in King’s Letter where he abhors the current critics of racist laws that appears different in practice. For example, Mill argues that people should live in an enhanced environment that supports free will, which leads to free thinking. Besides, King instills hope on the people to abolish unfavorable laws that deter personal growth resulting to a state oblivion that brings about minority groups. Therefore, King’s letter incorporates Mill’s approaches through which both philosophers value liberty that begin from the free
Dr. King brings up the anxiety that willingness to break laws can cause. He decides next to answer the question, “How can you advocate breaking some laws and obeying others?” He feels that, “there are just laws, and there are unjust laws” (Letter from Birmingham Jail 2). Dr. King explains first that, “A just law is a man-made code that squares with the moral law, or the law of God” (Letter from Birmingham Jail 2). He next explains that, “Any law that degrades human personality is unjust” (Letter from Birmingham Jail 3).
Having served as a minister, King deeply understood Christianity, which he used to address the white clergy in his open letter. King aimed to highlight the immorality of discrimination, especially to those in powerful or religious positions who could bring about change. Further, these individuals should be aware of the unjust and unchristian nature of allowing such bigotries. It did not matter to King whether others ignored or condoned the situation. Social change was necessary to eradicate racial injustices, and King’s mission was to convey that change.
In “Letter from Birmingham Jail”, civil rights leader, Martin Luther King Jr., stands up against the racial inequalities that plague not just the state of Alabama but the United States as a whole at the time. He claims the solution to racial inequality and the next step in furthing the civil rights movement is through nonviolent action. King’s passionate tone creates a sense of pride and confidence in his cause; as well as his use of ethos, logos, and pathos give the letter a sense of structure and unity. The purpose of Martin Luther King Jr. writing “Letter from Birmingham Jail” was to address the article published by eight local clergymen “A Call for Unity”.
King asserts it is a moral responsibility to disobey unjust laws. “One has a moral responsibility to disobey unjust laws.(4)”. He furthers his claim by stating that an unjust law is one that is “out of harmony with the moral law,(4)”. King says “All segregation statutes are unjust because segregation distorts the soul and damages the personality.” King gives vivid examples of how colored people have been repeatedly ridiculed throughout history.
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.
The main words King consistently brings up and definines have to do with the law, if something is a just or unjust law, or if what is legal or illegal are not the true definition of what people usually think they are. King tries to show that the original usage of a word does not always line up with it being morally right or wrong. To prove this he states, “we can never forget that everything Hitler did in Germany was ‘legal’ and everything the Hungarian freedom fighters did in Hungary was ‘illegal,’” (King 3) which shows that in the past the government or leaders may have said something is legal, but in actuality it is morally wrong. It is especially seeable in the case of Hitler, which King mentions, where he lead many innocent people to death.
In the letter, King outlines his poignant philosophy of civil nonviolence as a means of achieving social justice, while also making powerful arguments to promptly end racism and
King references organized religion throughout his letter and considering that the letter was mainly directed towards the clergymen, religion proves to be a continuous theme throughout the letter and may be the cause for one of the strongest arguments in the letter. Part of this argument is seen when King proposes a question on what makes a law just or unjust. King references St. Thomas Aquinas, one of the greatest medieval Christian philosophers and one of the greatest church authorities, when he states, “An unjust law is a human law that is not rooted in eternal law and natural law. Any law that uplifts human personality is just. Any law that degrades human personality is unjust” (382).
While in solitary confinement for nearly 8 days, reverend and social justice activist, Martin Luther King Jr., wrote his famous Letter from Birmingham Jail in response to the criticism he received for his non-violent protests. Several clergy who negatively critiqued King’s approach of seeking justice, wrote A Call for Unity, arguing that his protests were senseless and improper. Within the article, the clergymen provide nine different critiques that asserted how King’s protest are invalid, uneffective, and simply unintelligent in the fight for obtaining justice and equity for individuals of color. His letter has become one of the most profound pieces of literature of the 20th century, as King uses vivid examples and eloquent rhetorical devices to counter all nine arguments.
In “A Letter From A Birmingham Jail” Martin Luther King Jr defends his use of nonviolent protest in order to accomplish racial equality. In the letter, Dr. King uses ethos, diction, and allusions when defending nonviolent protest which makes his argument really strong. His goal is to make the clergymen help him fight racial equality. He uses ethos to build up credibility.
specifically uses religion and his church to justify the Civil rights movement. The divine law in his religion states that everyone should be equal, and the law should treat people as such. However the laws in his society restricted both him and his community, and constantly placed them below others. He states on page 3 “A just law is a man-made code that squares with the moral law or the law of God. An unjust law is a code that is out of harmony with the moral law” (King, page 3).
“Conversely, one has a moral responsibility to disobey unjust laws” (15). This quote is King’s explanation for why he is breaking laws, which is because they are simply inhumane and he believes that the right thing to do is fight against them. This trait is ultimately shown through how he pursues his path to equality, which is through nonviolent
In 1963 Martin Luther King Jr. was sent to jail because of a peaceful protest, protesting treatments of blacks in Birmingham. Before the protest a court ordered that protests couldn’t be held in Birmingham. While being held in Birmingham, King wrote what came to be known as the “Letter from Birmingham Jail” Not even King himself could predict how much of an impact this letter would have on the Civil Rights Movement. In the letter kind defended Kings beliefs on Nonviolent Protests, King also counters the accusations of him breaking laws by categorizing segregation laws into just and unjust laws. King uses this principle to help persuade others to join him in his acts of civil disobedience.
He gives an example of injustice through blaming the victim when society abuses Jesus and Socrates, who improve the world spiritually and intellectually. Questioning a spiritual figure and scholarly leader causes the audience to question the legitimacy of the white moderates’ logic because they doubt the audience’s beliefs. King cannot control how others react to his protests, but he can continue to try and improve the world through his own methods. Some white moderates find King to be an extremist and consider his protests unnecessary. King compels his religious audience by mentioning the different kind of extremes and how people choose their paths.
King compares some of his work to Socrates. He claims he is “creating tension” as to raise awareness about segregation the way Socrates raised awareness about