Socratic Methods Of Civil Disobedience By Martin Luther King, Jr.

1134 Words3 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Dr martin luther king philosophy

Every single day there are individuals who stand up against the jarring face of injustice, to uphold a greater purpose. Socrates is an individual known for going against the norms of his society, and uses his philosophical work to delve into the many facets of inequity. Uninhibited by societal norms, Socrates builds on his research by unraveling the intricacies of breaking laws. His study of injustice and law, feeds into his philosophical project of discovering the true meaning of virtue. When facing death, Socrates grapples with the moral implications of disobeying law even though there is injustice present. Martin Luther King, Jr. also faces all the complex challenges Socrates deals with, but within an environment of outright segregation. …show more content…

Despite the differences in situations, King acknowledges that Socrates is a proponent of civil disobedience because of his unwavering commitment to truth and virtue. I believe while Socrates did go against the injustice within his society, he did not go as far as King. Ultimately, I utilize King’s form of civil disobedience as the exemplary form and when compared to the Socratic methods of Socrates, it proves that his actions did not reach the extent of King’s. However, Socrates’ differences in the methods, used to fight injustice, do not stem from a lack of devotion to the truth. In his time, Socrates was in no way subservient to the citizens of Athens, but was regarded with great honor. The injustice he was fighting was ignorance within his people, whereas King had to fight against oppression. In Birmingham, King’s oppressors lacked respect and so he needed to use clear and direct actions to achieve equality for his people. The variance between King and Socrates’ environments ultimately demonstrate Socrates going against his society, but when compared to King his actions, are not civil disobedient. (Ignorance vs. …show more content…

refuses to remain silent despite being jailed. In Birmingham, he utilizes civil disobedience as a technique to bring the city to a place of negotiation. King feels that this is the most effect tool, because “Nonviolent direct action seeks to create such a crisis and foster such a tension” that white clergymen in Birmingham are unable to avoid the situation (King 37). This effect, is the way King defines civil disobedience as a series of non-violence actions to call attention to an important movement or necessity for change. By use of civil disobedience, King hopes that it will “open the door to negotiation” and to cause Birmingham “to live in monologue rather than dialogue” (King 37). Since King sees nonviolent resistance as a method to open discussion about the truth, it is clear why he feels that Socrates is a proponent of civil disobedience. In fact, there are parallels between the way civil disobedience creates tension in an environment and how Socrates created “tension in the mind so that individuals could” break away from ignorance (King 37). Additionally, King notes that Socrates had an “unswerving commitment to the truth” which is a result of his mission as a philosopher and shows how King deeply respects the ideas of

Show More
Related

  • Plato's Letter From Birmingham Jail Summary

    1427 Words  | 3 Pages

    Making a comparison of Dr. King’s letter from Birmingham with the woks of Plato particularly in the apology is just like comparing two statements regarding moral theory which in most cases do overlap. Each of the two texts makes a discussion of the nature of justice plus the kinds of injustices not forgetting what challenging justice implies. The two pieces of work are in one way or the other, from the political standpoint, that is, in Socrates’ case or in another channel a leader as seen in King’s case who is clearly beset with the political unpopularity. In his work, Socrates says specifically that he has got many foes, who are not only enemies, but those foes of the worst are also dangerous kind. In a similar way, the King’ s letter is a response to the 8 Alabama clergymen who had been publicly criticizing the king as being both unwise and untimely in the vent of his protests at a place referred to as Birmingham. The protests at Birmingham were aimed at the desegregations of the public accommodations as a matter of national policy as well as law. Similarly, from an analytical standpoint, the texts are the same in the manner in which they systematically dissect and pretty most of the destroying arguments which had been directed to them.

    Read More

  • Analysis Of Civil Disobedience In Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

    1062 Words  | 3 Pages

    King viewed civil disobedience as an obligation if laws were unjust, especially if the proponents of the unjust laws were not willing to negotiate as well as compromise the laws and situations. King states “You are quite right in calling for negotiation.

    Read More

  • Comparing Letter from a Birmingham Jail and Civil Disobedience

    1558 Words  | 4 Pages

    Martin Luther King and Henry David Thoreau each write exemplary persuasive essays that depict social injustice and discuss civil disobedience, which is the refusal to comply with the law in order to prove a point. In his “Letter from a Birmingham Jail,” King speaks to a specific audience: the African Americans, and discusses why he feels they should bring an end to segregation. Thoreau on the other hand, in “Civil Disobedience,” speaks to a broader, non-addressed audience as he largely expresses his feelings towards what he feels is an unjust government. Both essays however, focus on the mutual topics of morality and justice and use these topics to inform and motivate their audience to, at times, defy the government in order to establish the necessary justice.

    Read More

  • Similarities Between Martin Luther King Jr And Socrates

    314 Words  | 1 Pages

    Socrates and Dr. King rebelled against accepting social norms. Socrates taught his followers to defy tradition and question their knowledge of law, virtue, immorality, ethnicity, wisdom, logic, etc. Dr. King encouraged equality and fought to erase racial segregation.

    Read More

  • Civil Disobedience And Letter From Birmingham Jail By Martin Luther King Jr.

    799 Words  | 2 Pages

    Justice is often misconceived as injustice, and thus some essential matters that require more legal attentions than the others are neglected; ergo, some individuals aim to change that. The principles of civil disobedience, which are advocated in both “Civil Disobedience” by Henry David Thoreau and “Letter from Birmingham Jail” by Martin Luther King Jr. to the society, is present up to this time in the U.S. for that purpose.

    Read More

  • Antigone: Martin Luther King's Nonviolent Campaign

    1042 Words  | 3 Pages

    Martin Luther King, Jr. defines “civil disobedience” as a way to show others what to do when a law is unjust and unreasonable. As King stated in the letter from Birmingham, “Any law that uplifts human personality is just. Any law that degrades human personality is unjust.” When Negros were being treated unfairly, Martin Luther King, Jr. stepped in to show people how to peacefully protest and not be violent. The dictionary definition of civil disobedience is the refusal to comply with certain laws or to pay taxes and fines, as a peaceful form of political protest (Webster Dictionary). That is what Martin Luther King, Jr. did when nothing was changing in the town after the law for public school to be non-segregated. In Antigone, Creon created an edict that states that nobody could bury Polynices’s body because he was a traitor to Thebes and his family. Under Martin Luther King’s definition of an unjust and a just law, Creon’s edict is unjust and degrades Polynices’ right to be buried because of lack of information and favoritism of one brother.

    Read More

  • Civil Disobedience In Antigone By Martin Luther King

    1278 Words  | 3 Pages

    Non-violent direct action and respectful disagreement are a form of civil disobedience. Martin Luther King, Jr. defines “civil disobedience” as a way to show others what to do when a law is unjust and unreasonable. King is most famous for his role in leading the African American Civil Rights Movement and using non-violent civil disobedience to promote his beliefs. King also firmly believed that civil disobedience was the way to defeat racial segregation against African Americans. While leading a protest march on the streets, King was arrested and sent to jail. In response to his imprisonment and an article he read while there, King wrote Letter from Birmingham Jail, explaining that an injustice affects everyone and listed his own criteria for

    Read More

  • Compare And Contrast Thoreau And Civil Disobedience

    596 Words  | 2 Pages

    When trying to understand Plato’s thought process on civil disobedience, the Crito reveals his thinking on the topic. Focusing on Socrates si...

    Read More

  • Socrates Argument in the Crito

    1099 Words  | 3 Pages

    Socrates reaches a conclusion that defies a common-sense understanding of justice. Nothing about his death sentence “seems” just, but after further consideration, we find that his escape would be as fruitless as his death, and that in some sense, Socrates owes his obedience to whatever orders Athens gives him since he has benefited from his citizenship.

    Read More

  • Dr. King’s Argument Against Segregation

    1382 Words  | 3 Pages

    Dr. King exemplifies his credibility to advocate the ending of segregation laws. He gives an example of how society should realize that there is no need for violence by comparing both Socrates’ and his techniques. Dr. King uses Socrates’s philosophy to justify how much help the African American community needs to abolish the injustice of racism because the community itself cannot fight for freedom alone, the more individuals support them, the more likely the community can overcome segregation. Using psychological tension to help individuals rise from the myths, Dr. King uses an example of Socrates’ philosophy to help society become united. Dr. King states, “Just as Socrates felt that it was necessary to create a tension in the mind so that individuals could rise from the bondage of myths and half-truths” (497). Dr. King uses Socrates because he is a historical figure; individuals saw Socrates as a threat to society, but he later became an inspiration to others. In addition, the white community saw Dr. King as a threat to society because he wants to change the segregation laws, but he became a hero to all the communities. Dr. King uses the words “rise from the bondage of myths” to compare how Socrates helped individuals overcome certain myths, just as Dr. King is helping African Americans prevail over the injustice of segregation. T...

    Read More

  • Rawls and King on Civil Disobedience

    773 Words  | 2 Pages

    ...y, and also fidelity to the law. Acts of civil disobediences are aimed to defend principles of justice. In King’s case he aims to persuade the local government and the businesses to comply with desegregation laws. It was important for him to communicate fidelity to the law. You should lovingly break a law, because your reason behind protesting to to achieve what you see as a higher good. You are not directly hurting the people. King’s argument ultimately is you can break the law to make the law more just. You are attempting to break the law to show that the law is unjust, and it is an act of saying that the law can be made better than it is now. He’s gathered his facts and understanding of the law, it is 100% clear there’s a problem. For civil disobedience to be justified a real injustice must exist, or else it wouldn’t addresses a sense of justice of the majority.

    Read More

  • Hannah Arendt's Letter To Civil Disobedience: An American Refusal

    1229 Words  | 3 Pages

    In her essay, Arendt says that "the American republic is the only government having at least a chance to cope with it [civil disobedience]- not, perhaps, in accordance with the statutes, but in accordance with the spirit of its laws" (83). While those involved in civil disobedience are often breaking laws in the process of refusal, they are still following the spirt of the law, which Arendt goes on to ascribe to the revolutionary beginnings of the United States. Arendt explains that due to the social contract being important in early America, "consent as it is implied in the right to dissent" became "the spirit of American law and the quintessence of American government" (88). Thus, dissent in the form of civil disobedience is legitimate, as it still follows the spirit of the American laws while breaking the laws themselves. In his letter, King comments that "You express a great deal of anxiety over our willingness to break laws. This is certainly a legitimate concern" (3). King acknowledges that he is breaking laws with his refusal, but he continues to break them in an effort to achieve racial equality. Despite breaking laws, King's refusal follows the spirit of the American law through the concept of dissent, as described by Arendt. King explains that "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 the best in the American dream and the most sacred values in our Judeo-Christian heritage" (6). King participated in an act of civil disobedience in part to accomplish a wider goal of standing up for the American dream of equal opportunity for all citizens. His refusal is legitimate because he follows the American concepts of dissent and striving for a better

    Read More

  • Compare and Contrast: Socrates and Jesus Christ

    1058 Words  | 3 Pages

    Socrates, according to Plato challenged the norms of society by questioning life and having others question it as well. He was labeled of “corrupting the youth” and for not believing in the Athenians gods. “Socrates is guilty of corrupting the young, and of not acknowledging the gods the city acknowledges, but new daimonic activities instead.” (The Apology, pp 654) Although, he was cast by being “corrupt”, Socrates had many followers that saw him as a wise man. Socrates trial was made up of thirty jurors, who were later known as “The Thirty.” The “Thirty” really wanted was to silence Socrates, rather than taking his life. However, Socrates did not want to disobey the laws, he did not want to be violated of his right to freedom of speech, nor did he did he want to be undermine his moral position. (The Apology, pp. 647) He stood against injustice acts several times while he was in counsel. “I was the sort...

    Read More

  • The Republic - Book 1 - Theme Of Justice

    2360 Words  | 5 Pages

    Traditionally justice was regarded as one of the cardinal virtues; to avoid injustices and to deal equitable with both equals and inferiors was seen as what was expected of the good man, but it was not clear how the benefits of justice were to be reaped. Socrates wants to persuade from his audience to adopt a way of estimating the benefits of this virtue. From his perspective, it is the quality of the mind, the psyche organization which enables a person to act virtuously. It is this opposition between the two types of assessment of virtue that is the major theme explored in Socrates’ examination of the various positions towards justice. Thus the role of Book I is to turn the minds from the customary evaluation of justice towards this new vision. Through the discourse between Cephalus, Polemarchus and Thrasymachus, Socaretes’ thoughts and actions towards justice are exemplified. Though their views are different and even opposed, the way all three discourse about justice and power reveal that they assume the relation between the two to be separate. They find it impossible to understand the idea that being just is an exercise of power and that true human power must include the ability to act justly. And that is exactly what Socrates seeks to refute.

    Read More

  • The Unexamined Life Is Not Worth Living

    1037 Words  | 3 Pages

    When Socrates was brought to trial for the corruption of the city’s youth he knew he had done nothing wrong. He had lived his life as it should be lead, and did what he ne...

    Read More

More about Socratic Methods Of Civil Disobedience By Martin Luther King, Jr.

Open Document