Preview

Summary Of Martin Luther King's 'letter From Birmingham Jail '

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
1468 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Summary Of Martin Luther King's 'letter From Birmingham Jail '
Fauziya Farook
Philosophy 10200
FINAL
1. What did King say
a. About individual civil rights. In the ´Letter from Birmingham Jail”, Martin Luther King sorts to respond to the criticism of several clergy men since he believes they are “men of genuine good will”. In respond to what they said about their actions being “unwise and untimely”. King explains their delay in action due to the occurring events, back to back. They do not wish the media to copulate their actions with the events, because they are two separate things. After that explanation, King states what brought him in Birmingham. Injustice is what brought this man to the city. King states that Birmingham is the most segregated city in America. Simply because there are brutal police incidents. Bombings of Negro properties such as homes, churches than any other city. And colored people are treated unjustly in courts. Thus with these things happening in Birmingham, King went there to get justice for the oppressed, because he believes that their individual civil rights are …show more content…
King views emphasizes the points of all these great people. First, let’s take Plato for instance, Plato teaches people to doubt and ask questions in order to justify the claim. If there are no concrete evidence then there is a reason to doubt. Also if there is one reason to doubt a claim, then it can be doubted as a whole too. Therefore with that said, king at some point in the “Letter from Birmingham jail” says that he was disappointed when the leaders of the church said that freedom will definitely come at some point eventually. Meaning they really did not take their bible studies as they should, in the bible there is no type of racial segregation. Therefore no believing man or woman should be part of an injustice. However, the church members should be the ones that doubt the laws of the nation, if they are true believers. That is the disappointment King spoke about. The he said he hope that one day there will be true
Continue Reading
View Writing Issues

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    Martin Luther King Jr: An Analysis of the Letter from Birmingham Jail
    • 1184 Words
    • 34 Pages

    Martin Luther King Jr: An Analysis of the Letter from Birmingham Jail

    Written by Martin Luther King Jr., the “Letter from Birmingham Jail” is a paragon of persuasive writing that takes advantage of ethos, pathos, and logos in order to convince its readers to take MLK’s side during the American civil rights movement. The use of ethos defines MLK as a credible writer; the use of pathos appeals to his audience on a personal level; and the use of logos layers his arguments and claims with irrefutable reasoning and logic. By using all three techniques, MLK is able to hold the attention of his readers and persuade them to take his side in the battle against segregation.…

    • 1184 Words
    • 34 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Satisfactory Essays

    An Analysis Of Martin Luther King Jr.'s Letter From Birmingham Jail
    • 155 Words
    • 1 Page

    An Analysis Of Martin Luther King Jr.'s Letter From Birmingham Jail

    Martin Luther King Jr.’s Letter from Birmingham Jail is a response to eight of his fellow clergymen. He wrote this letter while the government arrested him and other protesters who were demonstrating in Birmingham, and he dedicated his whole life to the civil rights of the Blacks. In this letter, he response to the clergymen that questions his methods of protest. Different from Thomas Jefferson’s pure logic argument, he still adds his passionate sense of the injustice African Americans has suffered to his cool logic argument. Also, he uses first person perspective in this letter, which makes it more personal. Anyway, these two writings own different properties, so it is obvious that they would have different writing techniques. However, Martin…

    • 155 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
    Read More
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Review Of Martin Luther King's 'Letter From Birmingham Jail'
    • 450 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Review Of Martin Luther King's 'Letter From Birmingham Jail'

    Proud of Martin Luther King Jr. and all the Africans American that are standing up for themselves. The ethical issue is that Africans American is treated different because their skin color and they don’t have rights. They do have rights so they are going to stand up and speak. Their moral is to fight with no violent.…

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

    Analyzing Martin Luther King Jr.'s 'Letter From Birmingham Jail'
    • 1293 Words
    • 6 Pages

    Analyzing Martin Luther King Jr.'s 'Letter From Birmingham Jail'

    Reading through the commentaries of George E. Carter and Keith D. Miller, another perspective of Martin Luther King Jr. was exposed to me, that I was unaware of when first reading his famous works such as, “Letter from Birmingham Jail”, and his famous speech, “I Have a Dream”. Both men offered a different side of their views on MLK, providing analysis on his rhetorical writing styles as well as his influences in his writings. Transcendentalism can be seen in works of Martin Luther Kings, but his influences in his writing reach much further than that ranging from his Christian roots all the way to his findings while reading works of Gandhi.…

    • 1293 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Analysis Of Letter From Birmingham Jail By Martin Luther King Jr.
    • 413 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Analysis Of Letter From Birmingham Jail By Martin Luther King Jr.

    Martin Luther King Jr. wrote “Letter from Birmingham Jail” to church leaders and minorities. Even though MLK directed the letter to only the church leaders, I felt emotions and empowerment from reading it in the present. Imagine how much motivation and awareness the unfairly treated minorities got back then from reading this letter. His letter was basically about segregation and the negative effects it has in the world. He wanted to make aware of why segregation is not needed and how it affected many people outside of those who are not affected. MLK had no “actual” support from the view of white people because all his supporters were basically minorities who were wrongly treated. He didn’t really have leaders or impactful people who sided with…

    • 413 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory 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

    King addresses the church’s failure to step into the breach and teach its members the evil segregation laws and disobeying them is an act of justice. Segregation was a major issue that King explains the church refused to recognize. In addition, with the church not supporting him as he believed they should he addresses them as to why he was disappointed. By pointing out their failures he was teaching its members the evil segregation laws and that disobeying them is an act of justice.…

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

    An Analysis Of Martin Luther King Jr.'s Letter From Birmingham Jail
    • 1284 Words
    • 6 Pages

    An Analysis Of Martin Luther King Jr.'s Letter From Birmingham Jail

    On April 16th, 1963, during the peak of the Civil Rights movement, Martin Luther King Jr. wrote to a collection of clergymen in regards to his beliefs and protests. In his “Letter From Birmingham Jail,” King aptly wrote to the clergymen about their concerns in a respectful manner, while maintaining his dignity and explaining his purpose. In order to validate his points, he first built his credibility, and from there flowed into a plethora of other strategies. His emotional anecdotes and insight are strong points in his letter, appealing to the clergymen’s sense of compassion and justice. The imagery that accompanies his writing creates vivid and horrifying scenes meant to encourage the reader to join King in his civil rights endeavors. Logically, King presents his values in a manner that becomes inarguable against, which furthers the persuasive value of his writing. His…

    • 1284 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Rhetorical Analysis Of Martin Luther King's Letter From A Birmingham Jail
    • 872 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Rhetorical Analysis Of Martin Luther King's Letter From A Birmingham Jail

    King states that he broke the law because he believed that “one has a moral responsibility to disobey unjust laws” as stated in paragraph 12. King later adds that “any law that degrades human personality is unjust.” The laws that King protested were just that; they separated and degraded all African-Americans. While I cannot relate directly to this, I can imagine the anger sparked in all of the African-Americans. They knew the term “separate but equal” was a flat-out lie to make the white people feel better about themselves. I believe King and his followers had every right to be angry and disobey the laws posed against…

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

    Dr. Martin Luther King's Letter From Birmingham Jail
    • 172 Words
    • 1 Page

    Dr. Martin Luther King's Letter From Birmingham Jail

    Dr. Martin Luther King's "Letter from Birmingham Jail" is a response to Dr. King's follow clergymen criticism. The topic of Dr. Kings letters from a Birmingham prison is the nonviolent protest being done in Birmingham, Alabama in the fight for African Americans civil rights. Some clergymen, mostly white American men, believe the nonviolent protest Dr. King and African Americans were during was "unwise" and "untimely". The main argument Dr. King is making in the letter is the protest being done in Birmingham is "wise" and most important "timely". The way Dr. King constructs his argument is as if he was preaching his argument to his congregation. Take for instance when the part of the letter when Dr. King talks about different men, both biblical…

    • 172 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Response To Martin Luther King's Letter From Birmingham Jail
    • 603 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Response To Martin Luther King's Letter From Birmingham Jail

    The letter that King writes while he is in the Birmingham jail expresses the anger and frustration that he felt when all such nonsense and ignorance happened, pertaining to the charges of the clergymen, happened while he was in there. King wants the clergymen to notice the injustice charges that they claim in their degrading letter. King did say that “injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere”. This shows how much of a peaceful…

    • 603 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Birmingham Level Stuff
    • 478 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Birmingham Level Stuff

    In the “Letter From Birmingham Jail” Dr. King’s thesis is to answer other peoples criticism in what he hopes will be patient and reasonable terms. The reason he provides to support his thesis is that the people that criticism him see to be “men of genuine good will and that your criticisms are sincerely set forth”. This is his reasoning to answer their criticism for what happened.…

    • 478 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Birmingham Jail Thesis
    • 643 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Birmingham Jail Thesis

    From a critical viewpoint, King makes a very persuasive argument using logic and emotions to influence the audience that he is in fact right in taking a non-violent action but more so justified from the basic humanity laws. He denies idea that he is supporting some laws while breaking other by making a distinction between just and unjust laws. He talks about the difference between moral and political and just and unjust laws. For example, Parade law that put him in jail is just in letter but unjust when applied to violate constitution. King also justifies breaking laws by citing historical examples of civil disobedience, such as: the Old Testament, Early Christians in Rome, Socrates, Boston Tea Party, Freedom Fighters against Hitler. He then uses emotions to convince his readers that it is the white moderate that are really at fault, conveying the message that he is a victim of circumstance and society. He uses this to lead into the criticism of his extremism. King is really a moderate between two extremes of black action between doing nothing and becoming violent. He cautions that without his movement, the extreme of hating whites will win out and cause more violence. He then shows that he is indeed a pacifistic by recognition and praise of those whites who have helped his cause. King tries to refute the clergyman’s disapproval of the actions that occurred in Birmingham, he tries to redirects praise to the civil rights protestors, and reconstructs a harmonious…

    • 643 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Martin Luther King Letter From Birmingham Jail
    • 378 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Martin Luther King Letter From Birmingham Jail

    Martin Luther King Jr. was one of the most impactful leaders and speakers. King was able to capture his audience and persuade them to follow his movement. MLK’s use of rhetoric stopped the audience in their tracks. His words and arguments were powerful back when they were said and even in today’s society. So many of Martin Luther King’s arguments are based on emotion and appeal to culture.…

    • 378 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Martin Luther King's Letter From Birmingham
    • 717 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Martin Luther King's Letter From Birmingham

    In the letter from Birmingham jail, one of Dr. Martin Luther King’s major claim is that the direct action plan needs to take place in Birmingham. In response to the clergymen’s letter, Martin Luther King Jr. in his first 11 paragraphs expresses the importance of the Direct Action Plan while still incarcerated and how he plans to attack the injustices in Birmingham Alabama. The most segregated place in the United States at the time. Before king arrived the African American leader had already negotiated promises that certain racial signs would be taken down. But once he arrived he sadly realized that the promises were not followed through on. Therefore, Dr. King had no choice but to put in motion his direct action plan. He had postponed it often until its’ postponement couldn’t be prevented anymore.…

    • 717 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Martin Luther King's Letter From A Birmingham Jail
    • 1019 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Martin Luther King's Letter From A Birmingham Jail

    “Letter from a Birmingham Jail” was written in a time of civil unrest in the United States and served as a background to the fight against segregation suffered by African Americans. King used his letter to inform the world of the plight of African American’s and utilized natural law to clarify his position. In King’s letter he affirms his belief that he has not broken the law, he asserts that “an unjust law is no law at all”. What I believe that King is saying is that a law that is unjust does not serve the purpose of natural law. In this essay, I intend to argue that Martin Luther King Jr. in his 1963 “Letters from a Birmingham Jail” adapted the principles of St. Thomas Aquinas’ conception of natural law to successfully argue against Alabama’s segregation laws.…

    • 1019 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More

Related Topics