Martin Luther King 's Letter From Birmingham Jail

The question of whether the law of the land overrides human morality has been a popular topic that Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. discusses in his letter titled "The Letter From The Birmingham Jail." King's letter uses both the Rogerian and Classical model to argue that the law of the land can not deem justice or injustice, but rather morality must be the judge.

The similarities between these two are most evident in their desire for freedom. Martin Luther King Jr. wanted freedom from segregation and Plato wanted freedom from ignorance. They both wanted justice, and knew that it was immoral to take deny another being justice. For example, Plato has said,

The civil rights movement has caused many issues for African Americans, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. writes “Letter From Birmingham Jail” as a response to the clergymen who share a different view with segregation. King placed his views from the idea that everyone is equal, rather than one is better because of their skin color. His letter from Birmingham jail shared many points, with the ending of segregation being the main goal. With his familiar clergymen with disagreements, he rebukes their letters with his take on the civil rights movement. His letter has an amazing pull from different views that unites America as one. Dr. King uses incites from the black community to share their side of segregation, while also presenting an argument using ethics, facts and emotion that establish his letter as unique.

Martin Luther King, Jr.’s, “Letter from Birmingham Jail,” emphasizes the need for civil disobedience when faced with unjust laws. This idea contradicts Socrates’ claim made in Crito, that one must follow the law under all circumstances. In this paper, I will argue that Socrates is not a proponent of civil disobedience based on King’s definition of civil disobedience and Socrates’ charges. Moreover, I will argue that both Socrates and King disagree with one another based on the concept of civil disobedience—breaking the law and rejecting certain ideals.

Aristotle, a famous philosopher once said: “ It is absurd to hold that a man ought to be ashamed of being unable to defend himself with his limbs but not of being unable to defend himself with speech and reason, when the use of reason is more distinctive of a human being than the use of his limbs” (Aristotle). He believed that rhetoric was more powerful than fists would ever be. Another man, a very influential social activist, shared the same ideals, preaching to his people to fight for their freedom with words and not their fists. Martin Luther King Jr. used the power of rhetoric during the civil rights movement to gain equality for the black community. MLK was a master of rhetoric and used his knowledge of proper arguments to sway the

1.In the letter “Letter From Birmingham Jail” Dr.King is making the charge. The charge that he is making is that if the church does not get it together, no one is going to take the church seriously.

Words have the ability to spark change in the world around us; the way one conducts and organizes his words can start an innovation among a world of blind people. In 1963, Martin Luther King Jr. was imprisoned in the Birmingham Jail for being a participant in a non-violent demonstration against segregation. While imprisoned, he wrote the infamous “Letter from Birmingham Jail” in response to a public statement of concern issued by eight white religious leaders of the South. King brings hope for positive change that the white clergymen will understand the underlying problems and the necessity for an alternative mindset . He stresses on the need for action and acceptance of colored people with his influential words, rather sooner than later. By inspiring sympathy through emotional and credible appeals and demonstrating an obvious logic through sophisticated syntax, King effectively argues the need for a civil rights movement.

Throughout history, many solutions to a problem was protesting at where the official government or leader headquarters are without necessarily involving physical violence. Instead, verbal actions are used in this method of protesting. The purpose of this movement without actions is to stand up for what they believe in and try their best to put their country in the best conditions a environment could be. This can be interpreted as a peaceful movement that is aiming for a change in a restriction that can benefit the citizens in the community.

Through the span of Letter from Birmingham Jail (1963) Martin Luther King Jr., makes stretched out implications to various logicians, among them Aquinas and Socrates. His correlation would appear to show that he imparts a liking to them. In any case, the clearness with which he makes his contentions and the commitment to a solitary start strikes most firmly of Kant. Similarly, as Kant 's artful culmination, Critique of Pure Reason, endeavored to totally overturn a formerly acknowledged method of thought, so likewise was King 's work gave to a solitary goal: the security of common noncompliance as a type of challenge with the end goal that the Civil Rights Movement could proceed in uncompromised frame. Notwithstanding this peculiarity of

My role model is Dr. Martin Luther King, an activist and a Baptist minister who sought to end racial discrimination and segregation in the United State. Martin Luther king remembered as one of the greatest speaker and writer, who have strongly influenced the fate and heritage of black Americans in United States of America. Martin Luther king stated that,” I am in Birmingham because injustice is here” (1). The “Letter from Birmingham Jail” is one of his most famous works; where Martin Luther King, Jr. answers to a public criticism made by a group of white clergymen at his pro-black organization’s non-violent demonstrations aimed to eliminate racial injustice among black people in Birmingham. After I read the article, I admire Martin Luther king because he fought to change their political and social view toward the black people.

Morals can be defined as concerning or relating to what is right and wrong in human behavior; agreeing with a standard of right behavior. If the country progresses in moral excellence, it will allow us to be stronger and if we can become a united nation we can work towards achieving material excellence. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr was a civil rights activist who fought for the rights of minorities as well as the end of discrimination. Niccolo Machiavelli was a writer who took a different approach with his beliefs. Instead of him writing about morals he chose to educate rulers on how to be effective- how to maintain successfully maintain their power. While many in our society value economic progress more than ethical concerns, we should focus

Martin Luther King Jr. wrote the “Letter from a Birmingham Jail,” after an unjust proposal made by eight white clergymen. Their claims were to be that no Negro “outsider” should be allowed to establish or lead any protest and should leave them to their local neighborhoods. King replied directly to the clergymen, but used religious ties to also have his voice heard in the public. In his counter argument, King strategically used logical evidence, emotional aspects and good motives to present his perspective to the clergymen.

Martin Luther King, Jr. was imprisoned in Birmingham jail because of his contribution and participation in nonviolent demonstrations opposing the segregation championed by the southern leaders. The essay explores his longhand letter in response to civic statement of alarm and threats from the letter written by white religious leaders.

Before discussing the events that led to the “Letter from a Birmingham Jail,” it is important to understand the life of an African American in the pre-1950’s in America, leading up to the Civil Rights movements that shaped our country. In many parts of the country, Americans were treated as equals, but not in the Southern United States. White people viewed African Americans as something less than white people, as blacks were forced to drink from separate water fountains, eat at different restaurants, shop at different stores, sit in the backs of buses, use different bathrooms, and play in different sports leagues, among many other abuses by our society at that time. Although laws were passed in the 1950’s to dismantle the behaviors of the white-ruled society, the complicity with these laws was avoided, and violence ensued in the process. When Dr. Martin Luther King wrote his “Letter from a Birmingham Jail,” tensions and violence were at all-time highs in the South, and something had to change. This essay will discuss the actions leading up to Dr. King’s important letter, and the events that resulted following his brave address to the clergymen in Birmingham, Alabama in April 1963.

Sitting in a Birmingham jail cell scrawling in the margins of a newspaper, Martin Luther King, Jr. wrote a letter that would impact millions of lives throughout history. During this time period, African Americans walked in marches, conducted sit ins, and spoke out about the racial injustice that the presence of segregation manifested (King 2). King continually emphasized the importance of nonviolent protests in order to clearly communicate the movement’s point (King 2). After a nonviolent protest in Birmingham, Alabama, eight white clergymen published a “public statement of concern and caution” (The New York Times 1). In this comprehensive letter, King confronted these religious leaders in a way that people continue to admire to this day. Throughout this letter, Martin Luther King, Jr. brings to light the presence of injustice using ethos, logos, and pathos.