Martin Luther King Jr. was one of the best interpreters of the Socratic tradition of philosophy because of how he used Socrates' meanings of philosophy in his Letter from Birmingham City Jail. King Jr. not only stated great key points of Socrates ideas throughout the letter but he also had many of the same beliefs as Socrates. However, one can argue that King Jr. mostly defended a racial problem throughout the letter and Socrates faced the facts about philosophy and what he believed to be just, but King Jr. was also using philosophy to show that a law can be just in the eyes of people but really at the same time it is unjust. He used Socrates theories and questioning as a wakeup call to all the people in America; through philosophy he showed
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than went on to a different topic of just and unjust laws in his letter; he stated, “A just law is 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. In other words an unjust law is a human law that is not rooted in eternal and natural law. Any law that uplifts human personality is just. Any law that degrades human personality is unjust” (King,611). This quote provides a basic understanding of what just and unjust law is supposed to be, but if you look closely he is depicting the definition of the just law and unjust law just like Socrates would. King Jr. argues that segregation statues are unjust because he states “Segregation distorts the soul and damages the personality.” He argues that a just law uplifts someone's personality and segregation does the complete opposite because it gives the segregator power and leverage over others to be put down anytime and anywhere. King Jr. continues by stating, “Segregation is not only politically, economical, and sociologically unsound, but it is morally wrong and sinful” (King,612). He is making the point of showing segregation as not only an opinion based wrong but a moral wrong and advocates that people should disobey segregation laws. Due to the fact it's unjust and morally wrong. King Jr. argues that, “there is some instance when a law is just on its face and unjust in its application.”(King,612) When he talks about a law that is state to …show more content…
had used the same arguments and stance that Socrates had used back in his time because they both knew that change wouldn’t have happened without tension. They knew that people would need to see the problems in their own perspective and to start question the events happening around them. Socrates and King Jr. wanted people to question on what was going on in both their times to show people the truth and dispose of the wrongs in their world. King Jr. interpretation of Socrates was to much alike but at the same time they can be accused for fighting for completely different things but if you look closely they truly did fight for the same thing in the same way. Socrates and King Jr. both protested in non violent ways and both wanted people in their time to see what was wrong and right, they wanted to people to wake up from the false world they lived in, and they both gave up their freedom and life to achieve both of their beliefs. Martin Luther King Jr. was truly one of the greatest people to decipher the Socratic tradition of
than went on to a different topic of just and unjust laws in his letter; he stated, “A just law is 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. In other words an unjust law is a human law that is not rooted in eternal and natural law. Any law that uplifts human personality is just. Any law that degrades human personality is unjust” (King,611). This quote provides a basic understanding of what just and unjust law is supposed to be, but if you look closely he is depicting the definition of the just law and unjust law just like Socrates would. King Jr. argues that segregation statues are unjust because he states “Segregation distorts the soul and damages the personality.” He argues that a just law uplifts someone's personality and segregation does the complete opposite because it gives the segregator power and leverage over others to be put down anytime and anywhere. King Jr. continues by stating, “Segregation is not only politically, economical, and sociologically unsound, but it is morally wrong and sinful” (King,612). He is making the point of showing segregation as not only an opinion based wrong but a moral wrong and advocates that people should disobey segregation laws. Due to the fact it's unjust and morally wrong. King Jr. argues that, “there is some instance when a law is just on its face and unjust in its application.”(King,612) When he talks about a law that is state to …show more content…
had used the same arguments and stance that Socrates had used back in his time because they both knew that change wouldn’t have happened without tension. They knew that people would need to see the problems in their own perspective and to start question the events happening around them. Socrates and King Jr. wanted people to question on what was going on in both their times to show people the truth and dispose of the wrongs in their world. King Jr. interpretation of Socrates was to much alike but at the same time they can be accused for fighting for completely different things but if you look closely they truly did fight for the same thing in the same way. Socrates and King Jr. both protested in non violent ways and both wanted people in their time to see what was wrong and right, they wanted to people to wake up from the false world they lived in, and they both gave up their freedom and life to achieve both of their beliefs. Martin Luther King Jr. was truly one of the greatest people to decipher the Socratic tradition of