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Martin Luther King ideas and philosophy
Critical analysis of letter from birmingham jail
Critical analysis of letter from birmingham jail
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Martin Luther King Jr. is widely regarded as one of the most influential and greatest leaders in history, a title he is very deserving of. In “Letter From Birmingham Jail,” Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. displays his compassionate character and inspiring ethics by making references to religion, being respectful to his audience, and showing his thirst for justice. His demonstration of superb character makes King much more respectable and worthy of listening to.
In “Letter From Birmingham Jail,” King, a Leader of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, constantly references and makes parallels to religion. By doing so he expresses that not only does he himself believe that colored people deserve equality, but so does God. Religion often acts as the basis of an individual’s character, embedding morals and values like honesty, fairness, truthfulness, and inclusiveness. This is where much of King’s moral
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character comes from. Dr. King often uses religious values to his advantage in his preaching’s. In “Letter From Birmingham Jail,” he says, “One day the South will know that when these disinherited children of God sat down at lunch counters, they were in reality standing up for what is best in the American dream and for the most sacred values in our Judaeo Christian heritage.” He is making the point that colored children are still children of God and God loves them equally to every other child in the world. In this statement, King is admitting that he really does believe that all the people fighting for equality in America are doing what God would really want; a very empowering idea for many activists and religious people. Being such a righteous and devout Christian makes King much more respectable, relatable, and accessible to all spiritual types, especially Christians, even if not all of those people agree with his views on civil rights. This is particularly beneficial in attaining credibility and respect from readers in his letter as he addresses fellow clergymen. To further establish respect and credibility from readers, Dr. King himself is very respectful to his intended audience and opposition, the clergymen. King individually addresses each and every statement made by the clergymen in their letter, “A Call for Unity,” and does so in a very composed and polite manner. A prime example of his compassionate character is when he first addresses the clergymen by saying, “Since I feel that you are men of genuine good will and that your criticisms are sincerely set forth, I want to try to answer your statement in what I hope will be patient and reasonable terms” (King 1). He prefaces this statement by saying that he rarely responds to criticism, displaying how important the issues at hand are to him. There is an obvious sense of sincerity in his arguments. King’s word choice, like “sincerely,” “patient,” and “reasonable” all embody King’s compassionate character, especially because he is addressing opponents to his own beliefs. Whether the audience agrees or not, it is clear that King is acting on what he genuinely believes is right, and wants to do so in a peaceful, inclusive, and respectful manner. King’s thirst for justice is the driving force behind his activism.
His sincere desire to achieve social justice shows his compassion for all those who are victims of injustice. One cannot simply wait for justice to come, King says people must be proactive in bringing about justice, even if that means breaking the law. He believed that “One has not only a legal but a moral responsibility to obey just laws. Conversely, one has a moral responsibility to disobey unjust laws…” He goes on to differentiate the two types of laws saying, “Any law that uplifts human personality is just. Any law that degrades human personality is unjust” (King 4). If no one ever rivals unjust laws, they will never change to be morally right. King obviously stands by his words as he writes this letter from jail and remains devoted to expelling injustice from society. Providing such humble proof that his remarks are more than just words on a page is inspiring to activists and a great display his leadership. King genuinely does practice what he preaches which is an extremely respectable
quality. To become a leader of one of the largest social movements in history is not a modest accomplishment. Very few people could have achieved what Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. did for civil rights in the 20th century. This is because it is extremely rare for an individual to possess the compassionate, inspiring, genuine character that King did; he was a true Renaissance Man. King’s ability to incorporate religion, always be respectful, and strive for justice, as he does in “Letter From Birmingham Jail,” are just a few of the many admirable qualities that brought him so much respect and appreciation from people of all walks of life; the qualities that invigorated the civil rights movement in America.
In 1963, Martin Luther King wrote a response to clergymen who criticized his actions while he was stuck in the Birmingham city jail. This letter, titled “Letter from Birmingham Jail”, was written on the side of a newspaper and secretly taken out of jail by King’s lawyer. The goal of this letter was to address and confront concerns that were brought up in the clergymen’s letter titled, “A Call for Unity”. In “A Letter from Birmingham Jail”, Martin Luther King asserts a strong emotional appeal on the clergymen who oppose his actions by placing guilt on them when he inserts Biblical references periodically throughout his letter.
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. wrote his famous “A Letter from the Birmingham Jail” on April 16, 1963 while he was imprisoned in the Birmingham Jail for being involved in nonviolent protests against segregation. The letter is directed at eight white clergymen from Alabama who were very cynical and critical towards African Americans in one of their statements. Throughout the letter, King maintains an understanding yet persistent tone by arguing the points of the clergymen and providing answers to any counterarguments they may have. In the letter, King outlines the goals of his movement and says that he will fight racial inequality wherever it may be. Dr. King uses the appeal three main rhetorical devices – ethos, logos, and pathos – in order to firmly, yet politely, argue the clergymen on the injustices spoken of in their statement.
In “Letter from Birmingham Jail” Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. proves that he is well knowledgeable in the happenings in Birmingham. By providing a surplus of examples of events and details which he finds alarming, King was able to persuade the clergymen to like at the way the Negro community is being treated in the south using the appeal to logos, pathos and ethos. He displays his willingness to continue with respect and dignity, but because of the emotional ties that he has towards this cause, he will not remain inactive.
The letter from Birmingham jail by Dr. Marin Luther King was written as a response of King to nine criticisms made against the Southern Christian leaders and King’s participation in demonstration in Birmingham. King handled many rhetorical devices to convince his opponents such as the white clergymen with his rights to protest, create tension for direct action and to achieve the racial justice. The devices fluctuate between Logos, Pathos and Ethos in a clever way to appeal to his audience and criticize them at the same time. King provided logical supports such as biblical figures, historical and philosophical references. In addition, he used verities of metaphors, allergy and poetic language. In my essay, I will point out some of the rhetorical devices and
This letter was primarily written towards the clergymen, but is viewed by the the entire nation. King was sent to jail for parading around town without a permit. The eight days spent in jail allowed him to develop this letter to refute the clergymen. In his letter, King’s heart and soul was poured into this letter which can be seen through the length and the way he articulated himself towards the issue of segregation and racial injustice.
“…When you have seen vicious mobs lynch your mothers and fathers at will and drown your sisters and brothers at whim; when you have seen hate filled policemen curse, kick and even kill your black brothers and sisters…” –Martin Luther King Jr., Letter from a Birmingham Jail. Over the years, many groups of people have been denied basic human rights just based on simple things such as gender or race. These acts go against the UDHR, or the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The UDHR is a document of the equal and inalienable rights/freedoms all people are born with. One statement from the UDHR that was disregarded is the right to an equal education. An example from not too long ago is the story of Malala Yousafzai who was shot for trying to get an education because she is a girl. Article 26 of the UDHR states: “Everyone has the right to an education…”
The forceful subjugation of a people has been a common stain in history; Martin Luther King Jr.’s Letter from Birmingham Jail was written during the cusp of the civil rights movement in the US on finding a good life above oppressive racism. Birmingham “is probably the most thoroughly segregated city in the United States. Its ugly record of brutality is widely known,” and King’s overall goal is to find equality for all people under this brutality (King). King states “I cannot sit idly. and not be concerned about what happens,” when people object to his means to garner attention and focus on his cause; justifying his search for the good life with “a law that is just on its face and unjust in its application,” (King).
Martin Luther King, Jr. was a pastor, activist, and leader in the African-American Civil Rights Movement. Mr. King was a man of honor and respect, even in the troubling situations of serving jail time. People who were supposed to support him questioned his actions, but Dr. King still stood by what he believed in. In Birmingham, Alabama, Dr. King hoped that the white religious leaders would come to his aid but instead found reluctance and opposition. In the “Letter from Birmingham Jail”, Martin Luther King, Jr. refutes his critics claims through the use of passionate tones, metaphors, and allusions.
Dr. Martin Luther King addressed many topics in “Letter from Birmingham Jail”. He answered all the issues that were aimed at him in a very skillful and well thought out manner. These issues came from “A Call For Unity”, which was a letter published by eight local clergymen expressing their feelings about what Dr. King was doing. One concern, in particular, that King did an outstanding job of confronting was that of the clergymen’s anxiety about him breaking the law. King addresses the question of, “How can you advocate breaking some laws and obeying others?”
King writes the letter to defend his organization's actions and the letter is also an appeal to the people, both the white and black American society, the social, political, and religious community, and the whole of American society to encourage desegregation and encourage solidarity and equality among all Americans, with no stratifications according to racial differences. King's letter from Birmingham Jail addresses the American society, particularly the political and religious community of the American society.
“In spite of my shattered dreams of the past, I came to Birmingham with the hope that the white religious leadership of this community would see the justice of our cause and with deep moral concern serve as the channel through which our just grievances could get to the power structure.” This appeal seems logical enough, the church is typically the first to offer aid and is usually quick to join a cause that benefits mankind. However in the case of Birmingham King said, “But again I have been disappointed.” This is because of the inaction of the southern white church who stood passively as their Christian brethren struggled, this is perhaps the greatest cause of King’s frustration. The idea that Christians would ignore the suffering of those around them was, perhaps, novel to King, who strongly believed in loving thy neighbor as thyself. For him this inaction was possibly similar to a slap in the face, to be ignored by other Christians whom he should have been able to rely on based on principle. King does mention a few noble white churches whom helped in the struggle such as “Reverend Stallings, for your Christian stand this past Sunday in welcoming Negroes to your Baptist Church worship service on a
Dr. Martin Luther King’s “Letter From Birmingham Jail” is an emotional gaze into the authenticity of racial discrimination in 1960s America. King established this letter to his fellow clergymen which aims to address their concerns on the subject of the wisdom and timing of the nonviolent actions and the unjust demonstrations in Birmingham, Alabama that he and other fellow leaders carried out in 1963. King employs all three types of appeals ethos, pathos and logos; however, I discover that I am particularly moved by pathos and ethos in his letter. So much thought that I must admit I was
wrote “Letter from Birmingham Jail” as a response to a statement by eight fellow clergymen. Martin Luther King Jr.’s tone in the letter starts very restrained and is very calm and gentle. Martin Luther King Jr. uses religion in a very different way compared to both Kennedy and Lincoln. In King 's speech "God"is used to deny the arguments given by the clergymen. Clergymen are arguing that African Americans’ protest should be ordered in a very peaceful and calm way to lead it to negotiation. They are mainly criticizing King and supporting the bigoted police force. King tells there is a sacred reason that he is in birmingham by mentioning there is injustice. He comes up with a very bold quote “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere”. The quote serves an important role. It justifies why King has come to Birmingham, which is also supported by “Just as the prophets of the eighth century B.C. left their villages and carried their “thus saith the Lord”” (pg 503). It has reference of the “God” and prophets to add more meaning on King’s visit to Birmingham. He also uses “God” to justify the direct actions of African Americans. “Negroes have grossly unjust treatments in the courts” (pg 503) is a one example of showing the social oppression and unequal injustice that African Americans are going through. There are other examples such as humiliating racial signs, bombing in house, and other inhuman acts. He says these acts are against the Christian morality, so the black community is trying to actively improve their situation and surrounding environment. King has been continuously mentioned that the blacks will obey the legal conditions only if it was moral. He uses Hitler and Hungarian Freedom Fighters as example, that “We should never forget that everything Adolf Hitler did in Germany was “legal” and everything that Hungarian freedom fighters did in Hungary was “illegal” (pg 507). He mentions St.Augustine’s quote “an unjust law is no law
Martin Luther King Jr.'s "Letter from a Birmingham Jail" is a very effective letter. Through an intriguing opening, his ability to discredit his oppressor's words and create detailed yet clear responses, effectively integrate the quotes and examples of others to help illustrate his points, his descriptive logical and emotional appeals and his strong, confident closing, King created a letter that is powerful enough to provoke thoughts inside any person that reads it.
... to break unjust law to gain God-given right. King also explicit the disappointment for the church leadership, for they are one who takes action to spread the gospel to people. King also criticizes the white moderates who are busy hiding the actual problem for not making tension has worsened the actual problem.