Justice in the Eyes of Martin Luther King What is law? Law is a system of rules used to govern a society and control the behaviors of its members. In this case, Martin Luther King is charged for breaking a law. King questions the differences between just and unjust laws to justify his actions in Birmingham and the charges of breaking laws willingly. Defending his willingness to break laws, King argues, “How can you advocate breaking laws and obeying other?” He answers to accusation of his willingness to break laws with a well-written argument of what is just and unjust laws. Martin Luther King uses the definition, the categories, and the implication of the law excellently to answer the charges of breaking laws willingly.
King
He reinforces this idea by stating that in history many have displayed the similar tactics, referring to the Christians facing punishment before following the unjust laws of the Roman Empire. King uses the clergymen’s religious backgrounds with this example to better relate and connect the clergymen with King’s actions and purpose. He also refers to Socrates practicing civil disobedience for academic freedom and progression. The overall audience can compare King’s civil disobedience to Socrates’. By referring to great men, King provides examples that have been concluded as serving mankind for the better. King relates the actions of great men in our history against unjust laws to his own actions. It gives King’s penalty a sense of greater purpose. These examples also take the deliberate disobedience beyond the context of white man against the black man. His cause then becomes the fight for mankind’s progression. Being civilly disobedience to unjust laws is in turn having the highest respect and understanding for law. In a complex manner, King related the notion of segregation and unjust laws to the suppression of man’s advancement.
King continuously defines the definition of a law to clearly state that he understands the repercussions of his acting. He allows his audience to see that he has carefully thought about his action. King then justifies his action by demonstrates that he understands the difference