Analysis Of Martin Luther King Jr.s Letter From A...

We are comfortable breaking the law when we feel it does not apply to us, that laws such as the speed limit are not real laws because everyone breaks them. In 399 BC, Socrates would have disagreed with this assertion, and died in part to keep this idea from spreading. Socrates was sentenced to death by an Athenian court, though the punishment did not fit the crimes he was accused of. We assume that any knowingly innocent person would have escaped this sentence if given the opportunity and support to do so, yet Socrates refused to and died soon after. Over 2,000 years later, Martin Luther King is also imprisoned on petty crimes and sees his actions in line with Socrates, as they were both unjustly jailed for questioning their societies. To†¦show more content†¦He hoped to maintain structure within society but wanted to break down the â€Å"false sense of superiority† (King 39) of white people. Nonviolent disobedience was an outlet to create this unavoidable and uncomf ortable tension in society by forcing those ignoring it to eventually listen. Civil disobedience is not about breaking the law, but breaking laws you cannot morally approve of or consider to be laws. It can be seen as rejecting the status quo through openly breaking an unjust law and accepting the consequences for one’s actions while having an action attached to your goal, and all the while being respectful to the society and rule of law. King’s justification for civil disobedience was through his morals in accordance with a higher power, acted out by breaking down oppressive structures that makes difference legal and distort personalities and senses of self worth (King 39), but Socrates did not have a similar distinct motive for his philosophical debates. King related, â€Å"Just as Socrates felt that it was necessary to create a tension in the mind†¦ we must see the need for nonviolent gadflies to create the kind of tension in society that will help men rise from the dark depths of prejudice†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (King 37). His parallel between t he work of theShow MoreRelatedAnalysis of Martin Luther King Jr.s Letter from Birmingham Jail962 Words   |  4 Pagesintangible, it is still necessary. Some forms of inspiration come as passionate love while others appeal as injustice. Martin Luther King Jr.s Letter from Birmingham Jail was a response to A Call for Unity by eight white clergymen. His inspiration for writing the letter was the clergymens unjust proposals and the letter allowed him to present his rebuttal. Martin Luther King Jr. effectively crafted his counter argument by first directly addressing his audience, the clergymen, and then using logosRead MoreSociological Analysis of Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Letter from a Birmingham Jail1214 Words   |  5 Pagesï » ¿ Sociological Analysis of Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Letter from a Birmingham Jail Abstract The paper analyses Martin Luther King, Jr.’s â€Å"Letter from a Birmingham Jail† from a sociological point of view and shows how three major theories (structural functionalism, social conflict, and symbolic interactionism) are treated in the letter. The paper shows different appreciation of King’s ideas and works by his contemporaries and modern people. It also explores the concepts of â€Å"nonviolentRead MoreAnalysis of Martin Luther King Jr. ´s Letter From Birmingham Jail771 Words   |  3 Pagesagainst the prejudice that they have to face, accomplish justice that every single one of them are fighting for. Dr. Martin Luther King, a leader of the protest against prejudice was able to pursue the rights for African American people. However eight of his fellow clergymen criticized his procedure to protest, but they still supported him. In the Letter from Birmingham Jail, King wanted to encourage others to rebel against the wrong, even if it is not wise it is right, he was optimistic and yetRead MoreAnalysis Of Martin Luther King Jr s Letter From Birmingham Jail986 Words   |  4 Pages and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr’s Letter from Birmingham Jail are two important pieces of history. In Lincoln’s speech he speaks about the dangers of slavery in the United States and warned everybody that people who disrespected American laws could destroy the United States. On the other hand, Martin Luther King Jr. defended the strategy of nonviolent resistance to racism, and argued that people have a moral responsibility to break unjust laws. Based on these facts, Martin Luther King Jr does notRead MoreAnalysis Of Martin Luther King Jr. s Letter From Birmingham Jail1399 Words   |  6 Pagesmade. For people who are oppressed, what they see as the greater good may be vastly different from the views of those who are unoppressed. Martin Luther King Jr. s, Letter from Birmingham Jail illustrates how a seemingly innocent attempt at gaining one s rights can be seen as controversial and wrong by others. King was put into jail because of the peaceful protests he led. To those who shared King s method of thought, nonviolence would have been the way to maximize the gains in society by allowingRead MoreAnalysis Of Martin Luther King Jr. s Letter From Birmingham Jail1794 Words   |  8 PagesMartin Luther King Jr. s 1963 Letter from Birmingham Jail, a rhetorical masterpiece, was written in response to eight clergymen’s statements condemning his nonviolent direct actions. He defends the Alabama Christian Movement for Human Rights nonviolent, direct action against individuals, institutions, and laws that look the other way while unjust racial prejudice against African Americans runs rampant in Birmingham. Using three main appeals, Ethos, Pathos, Logos, Dr. King communicates the struggleRead MoreAnalysis Of Martin Luther King Jr. s Letter From Birmingham Jail1251 Words   |  6 Pages â€Å"A just law is a man-made code t hat 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.† (3) In 1963 in this particular statement made by Martin Luther King Jr. in his Letter from Birmingham Jail, he explained how man-made (white men) laws were created to persecute the black race, and how it is his duty to fight against such laws. He was the one who articulated the progressive hope of many African Americans along with other â€Å"colored†Read MoreRhetorical Analysis Of Martin Luther King Jr s Letter From Birmingham Jail1499 Words   |  6 Pagescritically we become acquainted with these concepts therefore become better writers ourselves. While learning about rhetorical writing and composition we have analyzed Billy Collins â€Å" Commencement Address at Choate- Rosemary Hall† , Martin Luther King Jr’s â€Å"letter from Birmingham Jail† and Lloyd Bitzer’s essay on â€Å"Rhetorical Situation†. In this pa per I will analyze and make connections between the concepts of audience, genre and rhetorical situation in connection to the fore-mentioned readings. In doingRead MoreRhetorical Analysis Of Martin Luther King Jr s Letter From Birmingham Jail1831 Words   |  8 Pageseffective when all three rhetorical appeals, Logos, Pathos, and Ethos, come together to form an indisputable argument. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr and Malcolm X are two of the most influential figures of the past few decades; similarly, their work is summarized as some of the most persuasive and controversial of all time. The audience of both of their pieces, â€Å"Letter from Birmingham Jail† and â€Å"The Ballot or the Bullet† include oppressed African Americans and the white oppressors themselves. Each man takesRead MoreRhetorical Analysis Of Martin Luther King Jr. s Letter From A Birmingham Jail873 Words   |  4 PagesAfter criticism from eight Alabama clergymen for his nonviolent demonstrations, Mar tin Luther King Jr. was compelled to enlighten them on the current issues plaguing the African American community. During his confinement in a Birmingham jail, King wrote Letter from a Birmingham Jail to address most of the clergymen s concerns about his protest. In his letter, King emphasized why his actions were not unwise or untimely and explained that now was the perfect moment to act. His studies and sermons