Civil Disobedience By Henry David Thoreaus Letter From A...

Today I will be comparing Civil Disobedience by Henry David Thoreau and The Letter from a Birmingham Jail by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr and taking a closer look at their rhetorical devices and strategy’s. In Civil disobedience by Henry David Thoreau shows us the need to prioritize some one’s wellbeing over what the law says. American laws are criticized mostly over slavery and the Mexican-American war. In Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s â€Å"Letter from a Birmingham Jail† was written in response to a letter written by clergymen criticizing the actions of Dr. King and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) during their protests in Birmingham, Alabama. The first article I will be analyzing is Civil Disobedience by Henry David Thoreau.†¦show more content†¦For one he definitely felt the need that a government that is unjust cannot be a government. He goes on long-winded about how a person should not have to follow a â€Å"law† if it is unjust. He himself actually, explains to us in his writing that he was arrested for not paying his taxes. Why? Well because he stood up against a law he thought was unjust. He did this because slavery was not being abolished. This exemplifies his reasoning. It also shows why his argument is logical. He states in his opening paragraph â€Å"also I believe—‘That government is best which governs not at all’ he puts meaning to this saying. He is not saying that no government is needed, but better yet that if a government is not governing â€Å"just† laws, then it is not governing at all. My second article that I will be analyzing is the Letter from Birmingham Jail by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Although ethos is only once explicitly used in Dr. King’s letter, he successfully builds credibility through the teachings of other well-known historical figures and stakes claims on a moral truth being higher than any local laws and ordinances. In the beginning of his letter, King describes having â€Å"the honor of serving as president† of a Christian Leadership Conference that operates in â€Å"every southern state.† Aside from this claim, Dr. King does not address himself as being above any of the clergymen that had previously criticized him. Instead, he brings in the thoughts of other well-known figures,Show MoreRelated Henry David Thoreaus Civil Disobedience and Martin Luther Kings Letter from Birmingham Jail820 Words   |  4 PagesHenry David Thoreaus Civil Disobedience and Martin Luther Kings Letter from Birmingham Jail Henry David Thoreau and Martin Luther King, in â€Å"Civil Disobedience† and â€Å"Letter from Birmingham Jail,† respectively, both conjure a definitive argument on the rights of insubordination during specified epochs of societal injustice. Thoreau, in his enduring contemplation of life and its purpose, insightfully analyzes the conflicting relationship between the government and the people it governs. He consideratelyRead More Henry Thoreau’s Influence on Martin Luther King Jr. Essay898 Words   |  4 PagesHenry Thoreau’s Influence on Martin Luther King Jr. Henry David Thoreau was a great American writer, philosopher, and naturalist of the 1800’s who’s writings have influenced many famous leaders in the 20th century, as well as in his own lifetime. Henry David Thoreau was born in Concord, Massachusetts in 1817, where he was later educated at Harvard University. Thoreau was a transcendentalist writer, which means that he believed that intuition and the individual conscience â€Å"transcend† experienceRead MoreCivil Disobedience and Birmingham Campaign993 Words   |  4 PagesCivil Disobedience and Birmingham Campaign Henry David Thoreau and Martin Luther king Jr. fundamentally altered the American tradition of protest and reform. Both of them shared the same idea, but viewed them differently. Dr. King wanted to ultimately raise awareness and open doors for groups while Thoreau wanted more individual rights for people. The Birmingham campaign was a movement organized by King Martin Luther in the spring of 1963 to bring attention to the integration efforts of AfricanRead MoreCompare And Contrast Martin Luther King And Thoreau Civil Disobedience1497 Words   |  6 PagesWhen It’s OK to Disobey Martin Luther King Jr.’s â€Å"Letter from Birmingham Jail† and Henry David Thoreau’s â€Å"Civil Disobedience† collectively persuade their audiences to disobey authority when it concerns social injustice. King takes a more assertive yet respectful approach, and makes it a point to explicate the intolerable treatment that the black community had to endure under the encroachment of segregation laws. In addition, Thoreau expounds why it is so important for citizens to object and takeRead MoreComparisons On The Advocacies Of Henry Thoreau vs Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.941 Words   |  4 PagesThere is a higher law than civil law- the law of conscience- and that when these laws are in conflict, it is a citizens duty to obey the voice of God within rather than that of the civil authority without, (Harding 207). As Harding described in his brief explanation of Henry David Thoreaus Civil Disobedience, there are some instances in which it is necessary to disobey a social law. Martin Luther King, Jr., in addition to Thoreau, reasoned that should a civil law be judged unjust, one had a moralRead MoreCivil Disobedience, by Henry David Thoreau and Letter From Birmingham Jail, by Martin Luther King Jr.909 Words   |  4 Pages The essays, Civil Disobedience, by Henry David Thoreau, and Letter from a Birmingham Jail, by Martin Luther King, Jr., incorporate the authors’ opinions of justice. Each author efficiently shows their main point; Thoreau deals with justice as it relates to government, he asks for,†not at one no government, but at once a better government.†(Paragraph 3). King believed,† injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. (Paragraph 4). Each essay shows a valid argument for justice, but KingsRead MoreMartin Luther King And Gandhi910 Words   |  4 PagesLuther King Jr. had illustrated civil disobedient to the world during a challenging time, by quoting inspirational words from Gandhi and Thoreau. Gandhi had also quoted Thoreau throughout his stimulating time. Before Martin Luther King and Gandhi, Thoreau exemplified civil disobedience in the 1800’s. The purpose of Thoreau’s civil disobedience was to make a different world. King and Gandhi had t he same purpose. That is one of the main reasons why they connected to Thoreau’s essay. Born July 12th 1817Read MoreDevelopment of Transcendentalism901 Words   |  4 Pageswhile philosophies of civil dispute and nonviolence may seem like a well-accepted idea today, many who fought for this type of negotiation were often considered radical for their introduction of it to society. Among those transcendentalists was Henry David Thoreau, who wrote â€Å"Civil Disobedience†, Mohandas Gandhi, who wrote â€Å"Satyagraha†, and Martin Luther King Jr., who wrote â€Å"Letters from Birmingham Jail†. Henry David Thoreau used the theory of transcendentalism in â€Å"Civil Disobedience.† These three transcendentalistsRead MoreAnalysis Of Henry David Thoreau s Letter From Birmingham Jail951 Words   |  4 Pagesconfrontations and have practiced freedom of speech rights for justice. In the two articles, â€Å"Civil Disobedience† by Henry David Thoreau, and â€Å"Letter from Birmingham Jail† by Martin Luther King, Jr.; both speakers focused on challenging social and political complications for the better of the future, country, and the government. â€Å"Civil Disobedience† by Thoreau, Henry David follows the author detaching himself from the government due to it favoring the majority based on the powers the certain group possessesRead MoreLetter From Birmingham Jail Rhetorical Analysis961 Words   |  4 Pages1. In his letter from Birmingham jail, Martin Luther King Jr., a civil right activist a Baptist Minister and the creator of â€Å"In Letter from Birmingham jail.† King uses concepts of logos, pathos, and ethos to convey his points. Racial tension was high during Martin Luther King’s time, and he was the voice of the black community. He articulated his words carefully and had use methods of civil disobedience to convey his point. One of the first appeals he makes in his letter is from a logos perspective