Civil Disobedience: Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Civil disobedience, an act of non-violent protest, involves breaking unjust laws both openly and lovingly (King 90), to bring about positive social change and uphold a higher form of justice. A higher form of justice, a concept explored by both ancient Greek philosopher, Socrates, and modern American civil rights activist, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., requires that laws uphold natural and eternal laws – the laws establishing right from wrong in nature and the laws established by God. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Socrates strive to uphold the justice of their respective societies: Socrates protecting the practice of philosophy and questioning authority in ancient Athens, and King seeking to eradicate segregation in 1960’s America. Throughout

Several philosophers have wrestled with ideas to decide under what conditions that humans are morally permitted to disobey the law. Civil disobedience is a concept that both Socrates and Martin Luther King Jr. strongly believed in, but they did not have the same viewpoints on it. Socrates dismissed any form of civil disobedience that got a person into conflict with the State, and Martin Luther King concluded that there were times when a man needed to partake in a protest that was non violent and take disobedient acts in in order to defend his freedom. Socrates believed that if a person lives in a government where he was given the chance to argue his case, he should not practice civil disobedience. Socrates thought that if a person was given

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. once said, “ We must all learn to live together as brothers or we will all perish together as fools ” ("Martin Bio”). Meaning if we do not learn to live together we are always going to be at war, and that both sides will die. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr’s involvement in civil disobedience was due to personal influences, he chose to participate in civil disobedience to protest segregation., and he did achieve success using this controversial method of standing up for what he strongly believes to be right. To understand Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s role in civil disobedience, one must first have knowledge of his personal life. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was born on January 15 1929 in Atlantic, Georgia.

Civil disobedience is when protestors intentionally oppose a law as a way of protest. The ambition behind this is to bring about revising a law or government laws. Rosa Parks displayed this when she stood up or rather sat down for the purpose of what she believed on segregation. Her act of civil disobedience led a 1956 supreme court decision. Born as Rosa Louise McCauley to James McCauley and Leona Edwards, former slaves and advocates for equal rights.

3) Civil Disobedience is the disagreement to follow the laws and stand against them through peaceful demonstrations. In the early 1900’s women were treated lower than men, they were abused, and were not given the right to vote. Women’s rights to own property, and take part in politics were violated. Nellie McClung, a social activist voiced her opinion and stood up against the government to give women equal rights as men; provide them with the right to vote. Civil disobedience was used by Nellie McClung to attain her goals.

Civil disobedience is the act of protesting over action that seem unjust. Martin Luther King became tired of the segregation of public spaces and the mistreatment of his people. He believed that the country that they lived in was unjust in their laws and policies toward African Americans. King emphasizes the history of slavery and the war that was fought to end such treatment and yet over the course of the years they were being treated as unequal in comparison to white men.

Civil Disobedience In the dictionary civil disobedience is the refusal to comply with certain laws or to pay taxes and fines, as a peaceful form of political protest, but Thoreau and Martin Luther King have their own beliefs to civil disobedience. In Thoreau’s “Civil Disobedience” he writes about the need to prioritize one’s conscience over the dictates of laws. Martin Luther King uses civil disobedience as something that effectuates change in the government. Both Thoreau and Martin Luther King has similar yet different perspectives on civil disobedience.

Civil disobedience is a way for people to express themselves on issues that are problematic to society in a peaceful matter. In developed countries like the United States, people have the freedom and a right to be civil disobedience and do so for a better change. Some may see it as a disrespectful way to disrupt the peace and in many communities. It is a dispute between it being right or wrong. Some feel like the power is being taken away from them and they need to do something about it but not cause a scene or disrupt anyone in any way, I believe people have the right to do this because I don't see the problem in someone speaking up something wrong.

Civil disobedience is the refusal to behave in accordance with certain societal norms or to obey certain laws that are seen as unjust. In short, civil disobedience can range from sit-ins, to protests, to marches. Civil disobedience is a tool often used by disenfranchised and downtrodden citizens to usher change from their governments in regard to laws or systems they see as unjust. It allows the citizens of a nation to bring about necessary change in their country without violence. Civil disobedience has proven time and again to be an effective tool in ushering in change throughout history and even today.

The Legacy of Civil Disobedience Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi was the preeminent leader of Indian independence movement in British-rule in the 1900s. Employing nonviolent civil disobedience, Gandhi led India to independence, and inspired many movements as well as civil rights leaders like Martin Luther King Jr. Activist Martin Luther King Jr. studied Gandhi’s work and the use of civil disobedience which made an tremendous influence on him and how he should go about protesting in the civil rights movement on racial discrimination in 1954. Gandhi and King were two activist leaders who led many movements. Although they were ages and generations apart, both men conveyed remarkable similarities in there use to display civil disobedience by the use of passive resistance and many other nonviolent methods.

Civil Disobedience means “the refusal to comply with certain laws or to pay taxes and fines, as a peaceful form of political protest,” according to Dictionary.com. Thoreau used the term “Civil Disobedience” to describe his refusal to pay the state poll tax implemented by the American government to finance the war in Mexico and to enforce the Fugitive Slave Law. Henry David Thoreau (1817-62) believed that this was a wrong thing to do because it would have caused a huge problem. He wrote the essay “Civil Disobedience” to expose the fact that individuals would do what government told them to and not ask questions. Thoreau uses the concepts of individualism and self- reliance in “Civil Disobedience” to get people to think about what the government is doing.

Civil Disobedience and its Significance Dr. Martin Luther King’s, “Letter From Birmingham Jail” was addressing to several clergymen his reasoning behind civil disobedience. Dr. King discussed just and unjust laws, and explains his thesis- justice upholds the dignity of the human spirit, while injustice works against it. Dr. King does, in fact, make a convincing argument for civil disobedience because he gives significant criteria by which civil disobedience can and will defeat unjust laws. Dr. King first explains that nonviolent direct action, or civil disobedience, is required to create crisis and confront the main issue at hand. Throughout his preaching of the mistreatment of African Americans in the south, Dr. King drew attention to the

Civil Disobedience Compare and Contrast Henry Thoreau and Martin Luther King both wrote persuasive discussions that oppose many ideals and make a justification of their cause, being both central to their argument. While the similarity is obvious, the two essays, Civil Disobedience by Thoreau and Letter from a Birmingham Jail by Martin Luther King Jr. do have some similarities. King tries persuading white, southern clergymen that segregation is an evil, unfair law that ought to defeat by use of agitation of direct protesting. Thoreau, on the other hand, writes to a broader, non-addressed audience, and focuses more on the state itself. He further accepts it at its current state, in regard to the battle with Mexico and the institution of slavery.

If in civil disobedience the person doing accepts the punishment, it will encourage people to start breaking laws just make a point when there are various and better ways to make a point. Breaking laws will do nothing for what people want because it will just get the government mad and they will make different laws and make worse punishments for the people, therefore not helping a free society. The act of civil disobedience demonstrates selfishness by a person or group of people. By breaking a law it shows that people will do anything to get what they want even if it doesn’t benefit anyone but themselves. Also for thing a person is fighting for or trying to prove there are opposite views on that idea.

Civil disobedience is non-violent and the protesters are willing to accept any punishment that comes their way. (Suber) Nelson Mandela’s involvement in civil disobedience was due to personal influences, he chose to participate in