Definition Of Civil Disobedience

At first glance, respect for the social contract and civil disobedience seem to be in direct opposition of each other While some may argue that this affection prevents him from practicing civil disobedience. Additionally, they argue that any violation of the law would erode its power and lead to anarchy. However, their argument oversimplifies the social contract as just a set of rules to be followed when it includes consequences for breaches of the law. Further, as King argues proponents of civil disobedience, who break unjust laws and accept the consequences, display a rich love for the law. To illustrate the difference between civil disobedience and disrespect for the law King lays forth a set of requirements;

In Birmingham, Alabama before April of 1963 there was a lot of prejudice dividing the population. The whites had instilled a mindset they were better and of higher authority than the African Americans. Birmingham was one of the most segregated cities in the South, being the worst kind of city for an African American to live in. Martin Luther King Junior was asked to lead a march in Birmingham regarding the injustice. After the peaceful protest King and some of his fellow leaders of the march were arrested and placed in Birmingham jail. King was kept in an old, dirty jail cell that was in solitude. He received only little amounts of food. One day a newspaper was smuggled into King. In the margins King wrote his “Letter from Birmingham Jail” in response to two letters written by fellow white clergymen of the surrounding area. Martin Luther King’s Letter from Birmingham Jail is a timeless document that all students should read.

After being arrested and imprisoned in Birmingham Jail, Martin Luther King Jr. wrote one of his most famous works to the people of Birmingham, titled “Letter From Birmingham Jail on April 16, 1963. This piece speaks of the evils of the segregation laws and how the blacks had been treated unfairly in Birmingham, in an attempt to get the white people to support the desegregation of Birmingham. He had been imprisoned because of his participation in a civil disobedience protest, and he is arguing that, even though the white people of Birmingham see the black’s way of protesting as wrong, it is a justified way to fight back against the unjust laws. In “Letter From Birmingham

In, “A Letter from a Birmingham Jail”, King writes about the criticisms placed on him by the Clergy and to all the white Americans who believe they are superior and do not wrong. For example when King writes, “freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor; it must be demanded by the oppressed” (King 3), King is speaking to the clergy who dislike his motives and actions. King is stating his innocence and that he is doing nothing wrong and that action needs to be taken in order to initiate a change. The purpose of King’s letter is not all to inspire a change in America and just address the criticism towards him and his actions but it is also a call to action. King takes on the time of a courageous, righteous, and disciplined man who

Martin Luther King, Jr. defines civil disobedience as the act of nonviolently refusing to obey unjust laws as a form of protest, usually resulting in accepting the consequences of

The “Letter from Birmingham Jail” is the letter written by Martin Luther King Jr. to the clergymen of Birmingham, in which he speaks up against the nonviolence demonstration criticisms by white modernists. In it King suggests that Socrates is civilly disobedient, despite Socrates’ assertions of breaking the law in the Crito, the prison conversation between Socrates and his friend Crito days before his death. Socrates repeatedly states that it would be morally wrong for him to escape prison and go against the laws, however, King believes that he is civilly disobedient. I, too, believe that Socrates was in some form rebellious to the law, and that he was misunderstood and rejected by society. The Apology and Crito are two dialogues that discuss the intent of Socrates’ “crimes;” and the “Letter from Birmingham Jail” goes along the reasoning behind King’s claim against Socrates.

In “Letter from Birmingham Jail”, Martin Luther King Jr. wrote a response to clergymen defending his actions that placed him in a jail in Birmingham, Alabama. King did not respond to all the criticism that crossed his desk, but this time King felt he was compelled to respond. This obligation King felt was due in part to men with good will and intentions stating that his actions were “unwise and untimely” (Pg. 835). King’s purpose in writing “Letter from Birmingham Jail” was to defend the strategy of nonviolent direct action in Birmingham and to justify the process and characteristics needed to attain the goals of both nonviolent direct action and civil disobedience in a just manner.

Due to this protest, King was arrested placed in the Birmingham City Jail. This inspired the famous “Letter from Birmingham Jail” which was a response to eight white clergymen of the south. The letter showed how strong of a speaker King was and his range of knowledge. In the letter, he refers to the Bible as well as several worldly thinkers. King showed his passion for the fight for equality while keeping it in a controlled, scholarly tone. “At the time, it gave a singular, eloquent voice to a massive, jumbled movement” (SparkNotes

Civil disobedience is the act of nonviolently refusing to obey certain laws as a form of political protest. This usually results in accepting the consequences of breaking the law, such as jail time. Martin Luther King Jr., a proponent of civil disobedience breaks down this definition by stating the differences between two types of laws: just and unjust. One difference King makes states “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 39). In other words, King states that a just law must agree with the principles of our own truths: what we perceive as right and wrong.

“Letter from Birmingham Jail” is a text by Martin Luther King Jr. that explains his rationale for holding nonviolent demonstrations against segregation. As an ardent leader of the civil rights movement, King led multiple peaceful protests against segregation, many of which sparked conflicts with local governments. In 1963, the city of Birmingham, Alabama imprisoned King for his role in a demonstration there. While in jail, King received news that eight local clergymen had published a statement criticizing his part in the protest and arguing that it only served to interfere with the efforts to improve racial relationships in the city. In response, he wrote an impassioned letter countering the clergymen’s arguments and clarifying his own views.

Imagine the feeling of sitting in room isolated from the rest of the world, left alone with your thoughts and kept guarded away from freedom. What would one with their spare time? Would one contemplate escape? Would one sit alone with their thoughts and fixate on what has led to such a lonely end? Would one compose a letter to those who detained them? Perhaps these are the same thoughts that inspired the words of Socrates, in Plato’s Crito or the emotional words that were spewed on paper by Dr. Martin Luther King while detained in Birmingham Jail. The philosophy of Socrates and Dr. Martin Luther King are grounded in peace. Both philosophers are faced with conflict from the laws put in place by the society that they are in. The purpose of this essay is to compare how each philosopher discusses the concept of law. The fictional tales of Socrates was inspiration to the belated Dr. King as he strived to challenge the status quo set for society. Throughout Plato’s poems Socrates constantly stretched the mental capabilities of those who conversed, and at times even challenged him. Dr. King was not fearful of “Causing tension to the mind” of those around him. In particular Dr. King challenged his ideals of those who opposed his approach of nonviolent protesting. In “The letter from a Birmingham Jail” Dr. King response to a clergyman in form of a letter. This letter expresses the many obstacles put in front of Dr. King as he strives to create an equal society for African-American or

The very goal of civil disobedience is to simply disobey laws and accept the consequences, not fighting back in any way. The refusal of laws could potentially lead to negative changes if its purpose were to utilise violence in order to obtain the change that those involved desire. However, nonviolent disobedience plays by the rules of democracy. Those participating accept the fact that they will be imprisoned for their actions. In his “Letter from Birmingham Jail”, King also states that “one who breaks an unjust law must do so openly, lovingly, and with a willingness to accept the penalty.”

In the “Letter from Birmingham Jail” Martin Luther King Jr. mentions that Socrates performs civil disobedience. Socrates claims one should never break laws, while King suggests it is needed to break laws if they are unjust. Even though Socrates thinks one should never break laws, King still suggests Socrates is a proponent of civil disobedience. Civil disobedience can take form in many ways and the way Socrates is being civilly disobedient can be recognized upon further examination.

What I think of Civil Disobedience? Civil Disobedience has plenty of valid points and opinions that I can agree with. I slightly agree with Thoreau when he states “ Let every man make known what kind of government would command his respect, and that will be one step towards obtaining it.” His quote quite tied in with a lot of things in the our world today. NFL Football Players not standing for the national anthem is causing the most controversy. Other than Colin Kaepernick, a portion of those professional football players aren't making their statement coherent. Colin Kaepernick is something what other people might call civil disobedience, even though he didn't transgress any laws or anything. Very civilized, he kneeled for all the lives taken,

Civil disobedience is to infringe the law in which you do not feel is genuine morality as well as just. Therefore civil disobedience can be both just and unjust, and that, within the following arguments, it analyzes both the means of civil disobedience through how it is unjust when based upon society's ways and that it is just when it relies upon divine laws.