Philosophy - MLK Thought Flashcards
what does MLK say about Justice and fairness?
Letter from Birmingham Jail (1963): no such thing as a good or bad time when comes to implementing justice; laws which prohibit justice should be met with protest; all created in the image of God, so all should be treated with respect, eg. Not denying black adults the vote
what made the ‘I have a dream’ speech work?
most famous speech, Washington 1963, I have a Dream: relies heavily on metaphors and imagery, ends with vision of black and white people holding hands ‘Free at last’; wants to honour the promise in American Constitution that ‘all men are created equal’; compares himself to prophet Isaiah and his description of all being treated equally, ‘Every valley shall be raised up and mountain and hill made low.’
what was something about how the speech was written?
both political (equal rights for all) and theological (place of peace, love and justice)
what did MLK think about breaking laws
MLK believed it is right to break a human law if it fails to conform to God’s biblical hope for justice for all, so if it fails to uphold human dignity then the law breaker must accept the consequences of breaking the law (eg. Prison)
what did MLK think about violence
MLK also believed that in a situation of gross injustice
non-violent direct action (boycotts, marches etc) are the
only alternative and should be used even if they result in
violence. He called his position ‘realistic pacifism.’
