P1. Socrates and King on Disobeying Unjust Laws
Is it OK to disobey an unjust law? Through an evaluation of Socrates’ discussion in Plato's
Crito
and
Martin Luther King Jr.’s discussion in
Letter From a Birmingham Jail
, develop a response to this question.
Your essay should consist of three parts, each approximately one paragraph in length. (The third
paragraph may be longer than the other two, if you wish.)
Part 1. Decide what you believe is the best argument by Socrates for the claim that we are
obligated to obey all laws (even the unjust ones), and present this argument mainly in your own
words.
Part 2. Decide what you believe is the best argument by King that addresses the question “Is it
OK to disobey an unjust law?” and present this argument mainly in your own words.
Part 3. Evaluate the two arguments identified above, by giving your views on the strengths and
weaknesses of both arguments. Also explain which one you think is stronger.
Answers should be double spaced and written in size 12 Times New Roman Font.
This paper is due October 11
th
at 11:59 pm via email.
