Preview

Martin Luther King

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
809 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Martin Luther King
According to the Dictionary Online (2013), “Injustice is the violation of the rights of others; unjust or unfair action or treatment.” Martin Luther King Jr. defined an unjust law in the Letter from Birmingham Jail (1963), “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. All segregation statutes are unjust because segregation distorts the soul and damages the personality. It gives the segregator a false sense of superiority and the segregated a false sense of inferiority.” Judeo-Christian ethics were applied to allow for civil disobedience during the protest. King believed that there are the laws that are legal, and the laws that are just. Justice is above legality, and it holds a moral context to it. In his words: “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.” I also feel it is important when thinking about what is just, and unjust to realize the importance between the what is legal and illegal, and see how these go hand in hand. Also, it is important to be able to notice the difference between the two of them. This way, we can figure out whether or not civil disobedience is ever acceptable. King had also mentioned a few examples of the differences between legality and justice in his Letter From Birmingham Jail. In that letter he reminds us of everything the Nazis and Adolf Hitler did during the Holocaust, and how it was apparently “legal”. In Germany, they changed the laws to cover up what they had done. It became this poor excuse for them brutally killing thousands of people. These people died based on their religious views, handicaps, and life-style choices. Although what they did was legal, what they did was not just. The laws they made were unjust, and because justice is a higher power than legality. Those laws and those
Continue Reading
View Writing Issues

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    Letter From Birmingham Jail Summary
    • 979 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Letter From Birmingham Jail Summary

    King there are two types of laws, you have just laws and unjust laws. “Any law that uplifts human personality is just. Any law that degrades human personality is unjust” (pg.3). Dr. King distinguishes between the two very clearly in his letter. He goes on to talk about each law, just and unjust, and gives thorough examples of each. He is of course talking about how discrimination and segregation is unjust. “For instance, I was arrested Friday on a charge of parading without a permit. Now there is nothing wrong with an ordinance which requires a permit for a parade, but when the ordinance is used to preserve segregation and to deny citizens the First amendment privilege of peaceful assembly and peaceful protest, then it becomes unjust” (pg.3). This is a great example because Martin accepts the fact that he was arrested for “parading” without a permit. But this is unjust because the ordinance was used to preserve segregation. I found this ironic that Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was getting this ticket when in fact the officer whom was writing the ticket should be thrown in jail for violating the first amendment. In my opinion, I agree with this letter in its entirety. I too believe that everyone has certain natural rights. In my opinion ‘moral law’ does exist. His examples of just and unjust laws are shared by many, and if not, they are at least shared by…

    • 979 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Unjust Laws According To Martin Luther King Jr.'s Letter From Birmingham Jail
    • 486 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Unjust Laws According To Martin Luther King Jr.'s Letter From Birmingham Jail

    In his “Letter from Birmingham Jail”, King talks about the difference between unjust and just laws. He tells us that everyone has a moral code to adhere to with accordance the laws that are just. Yet, the laws that are seen as unjust, should be unfollowed by the people. According to King, just law is a moral law or the law of God, whereas unjust law is made up by humans and does not have anything common with eternal and natural law. MLK would advise the people to disobey this act in any way possible, an unjust law is not one that should be followed. MLK was very adamant about this, the laws that are unfair to the people are meant to be disobeyed in order to hopefully change…

    • 486 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    martin luther king
    • 755 Words
    • 4 Pages

    martin luther king

    The purpose of this letter was to explain the goals of these nonviolent demonstrations and the letter is directed to the white clergymen who had criticized these demonstrations and also called him an outsider and troublemaker.…

    • 755 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Essay On Martin Luther King Letter From Birmingham Jail
    • 937 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Essay On Martin Luther King Letter From Birmingham Jail

    For instance, King compared the difference between the just laws and the unjust laws to explain for his willingness to break laws: “An unjust law is a code … be considered democratically structured?” Here, King pointed out that the act of segregation was considered unjust because it was not democratically structured. Also, he believed that the laws could only be just when everyone was willing to follow it and it should be considered by all not just by the white society. In other words, by using the facts, King made a strong and convincing argument against the government, which supported the segregation law as a just law. Furthermore, King continued with his logic in saying that such unjust laws should not be preserved by using moral means: “So I have tried to make … right deed for the wrong reason.” Although King agreed that Mr. Connor and the policemen were doing the right thing in ending the protest in a nonviolent way, he pointed out it was ironic that they were in fact protecting an immoral end or injustice. In fact, King asked the clergymen to look outside for the true cause of his protest, which was to end the injustice in Birmingham, rather than commend the police for their good actions in preserving a wrongdoing.…

    • 937 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Better Essays

    Poetic Justice: King Vs. Anthony
    • 1491 Words
    • 6 Pages

    Poetic Justice: King Vs. Anthony

    King, however, didn’t advocate citizens transcending the law, but rather, Dr. King believed that in order to remedy injustice in society, people must openly break the unjust law and accept punishment in showing “highest respect for the law”(King p.23). In a rather interesting yet extreme example, King relates civil disobedience to the Holocaust: “It was ‘illegal’ to aid and comfort a Jew in Hitler’s Germany. But I am sure that, if I had lived in Germany during that time, I would have aided and comforted my Jewish brothers even though it was illegal. If I lived in a communist country today where certain principles dear to the Christian faith are suppressed, I believe I would openly advocate disobeying these anti-religious laws”(King p.23). King cites such an example to bring out the visceral reaction of the audience, given the Holocaust’s widespread negative publicity and condemnation. Thus, King manipulates the reader’s emotions to bring them on board with the idea of civil disobedience. No one would dare question the rectitude of aiding a helpless Jew. King attempts direct the same negative connotation of the Holocaust to segregation in the U.S. to fight injustice in…

    • 1491 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Better Essays
    Read More
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Letter from Birmingham Jail
    • 411 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Letter from Birmingham Jail

    To start off, Dr. Martin Luther King’s view for an unjust law is “a code that is out of harmony with the moral law.” (King 4) He believes that any law that degrades human personality is an unjust law. An unjust law is basically a code that inflicts on minority that is not binding itself. A concrete example of an unjust law is basically difference made legal. Another explanation of an unjust law by Dr. King is “An unjust law is a code inflicted upon a minority which that minority had no part in enacting or creating because it did not have that unhampered right to vote” (King 4). In King’s letter, he describes how the segregation law in Alabama was not democratically elected. He does this by stating that throughout the state of Alabama there are many methods used to prevent Negroes from voting, or even becoming registered voters. He also explains how there are some states and countries without a single Negro registered to vote despite the fact that Negroes constitute a majority of the population in most states and countries. Dr. King stated in his letter that he was arrested for a charge of parading without a permit. This is an example of a law that is just on its face and unjust in its application. Of course, the law is the law and there is nothing worng with the ordinance on parading without a permit, but when the ordinance is used to prevent just,…

    • 411 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    What Is King Thesis In Letter From Birmingham Jail
    • 1646 Words
    • 7 Pages

    What Is King Thesis In Letter From Birmingham Jail

    King says, “Hence segregation is not only politically, economically and sociologically unsound, it is morally wrong and sinful”(13). King uses “God Law”(morals) to explain why segregations needs to stop. God always pushes you to do the moral choice, so why have all these church leaders chosen to head down the morally wrong path? The law itself it's okay because it is an unjust law, but it is morally wrong. But what is the difference between a just law and an unjust law? King explains that very well. The clergymen wants to know why they chose to follow some laws and disregard the rest. A just law is any law that makes you a better person, an unjust law does the opposite. That’s why king chose to follow only some laws; he was making the moral choice, and did what was right in his eyes. So when he was protesting, yes it was illegal for him to do, but in his heart it was the right…

    • 1646 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Dr. Martin Luther King's Letter From Birmingham Jail
    • 1231 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Dr. Martin Luther King's Letter From Birmingham Jail

    While the 1954 Supreme court decision outlining segregation in public schools improved because of the “Law’ and not because of “moral” acceptance. Dr. King is specific in describing two types of laws: the just laws, and unjust laws. Dr. King referred to St. Augustine that “an unjust law is no law at all”. He connected just laws to moral law or the law of God. He described an unjust law as a man-made code that does not kinship or is out of harmony with the moral law rooted in eternal or natural law. King makes the difference clear by describing an unjust law as not binding on the majority of people or itself. The majority follows a just law and minority as well, equal and distributed…

    • 1231 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Essay On The 14th Amendment Disenfranchisement
    • 605 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Essay On The 14th Amendment Disenfranchisement

    King says an unjust law is “a code that a numerical or power majority group compels a minority group to obey but does not make binding on itself….difference made legal.”…

    • 605 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Better Essays

    Racial Discrimination In Dr. Martin Luther King's Letter From Birmingham Jail
    • 1393 Words
    • 6 Pages

    Racial Discrimination In Dr. Martin Luther King's Letter From Birmingham Jail

    King uses syntax when he scribes his thoughts about just and unjust laws. In particular, he describes unjust laws as codes that are out of harmony with the moral law and not rooted with eternal law, and a code that a numerical or power majority group compels a minority group to obey, but does not make it binding on itself. Since he describes a just law as a man-made code that squares with the moral law or law of God and uplifts human personality, Dr. King is saying that a just law is much more preferable to our society (742). After telling about the difference between just and unjust laws, he explains to his audience, in his opinion, a way to break unjust laws. One way to do this is to bring awareness to the law and how it is unjust without breaking the law. Also a group of people can stand up against the unjust law by talking before a group of legislators or some form of court. He also tells us that some laws may be both just and unjust. He writes “Sometimes a law is just on its face and unjust in its application” (743). Laws like no parading without a permit, seems like a just law on the outside, but also tends to include peaceful protesting and boycotting. Another example is the inability to vote or segregation of schools and public places. Although African Americans have been affected by multiple unjust and just laws, they continued on their journey to gain equal rights in…

    • 1393 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Better Essays
    Read More
  • Better Essays

    Dr.King
    • 1460 Words
    • 6 Pages

    Dr.King

    Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr open letter, "Letter from Birmingham Jail" (1963), negotiates the sinful…

    • 1460 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Better Essays
    Read More
  • Better Essays

    Civil Rights Leader Martin Luther King Jr.
    • 1193 Words
    • 35 Pages

    Civil Rights Leader Martin Luther King Jr.

    Martin Luther King Jr., reverend and civil rights leader, was jailed after leading a major protest against unfair hiring practices in Birmingham, Alabama. King was serving as president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference and was requested by a fellow affiliate, The Alabama Christian Movement for Human Rights, to participate and "engage in [what they called] a nonviolent direct-action program"(164). As King and his affiliates joined together to organize a non-violent protest against racial segregation, King and his fellow brothers and sisters were soon jailed by the white conservative community of Birmingham. While King and his members were locked up in jail, a group of local white clergymen from Birmingham published a statement criticizing the actions of King and his supporters. The local white clergymen attempted to force the African American community to withdraw their support from the civil rights movement. In response, King replies with a letter aimed towards the clergymen as well as the white conservatives of Birmingham. In King's "Letter from Birmingham Jail" (1963), King attempts to explain his purpose for being in Birmingham and the reasons behind the civil rights movement. Through King's language and rhetorical strategies, he attempts to convince these white clergymen; and the white conservatives, why equal rights should be granted to all African Americans. Moreover, King utilizes the rhetorical devices logos and ethos to appeal to the clergymen's logic, authority, reputation and ethics. As King progresses throughout his letter, his audience will notice that he gradually lessens his use of logos and ethos and effectively stengthens his use of pathos in order to appeal to the white clergymen and the white conservative community.…

    • 1193 Words
    • 35 Pages
    Better Essays
    Read More
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Martin Luther King
    • 380 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Martin Luther King

    | He believed for America to be a great nation, people had to stand side by…

    • 380 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Unjust Laws
    • 1053 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Unjust Laws

    Firstly, one must define what an unjust law is. According to Martin Luther King, an unjust law is “any law that degrades human personality” (King 179). In other words, it is a law that is directed against a certain group of people or is inflicted on a minority. He continues on by stating that “an unjust law is a code that a numerical or power majority group compels a minority group to obey but does not make binding on itself” (King 179), meaning that any law that causes a person to suffer simply because they do not agree with this majority is an incorrect and unjust law.…

    • 1053 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Powerful Essays

    Unjust Laws
    • 1740 Words
    • 7 Pages

    Unjust Laws

    To begin, however, I believe it is necessary to define an "unjust" law. According to St. Thomas Aquinas, "Any law that uplifts human personality is just. Any law that degrades human personality is unjust." (King, 3) According to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., "An unjust law is a code that a numerical or power majority compels a minority group to obey, but does not make binding on itself." (King, 4)…

    • 1740 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Powerful Essays
    Read More

Related Topics