Martin Luther King Jr.'S Stance On Civil Disobedience

Martin Luther King Jr. believed that there were two types of laws: just and unjust. In his Letter from a Birmingham Jail, he wrote:

> I would be the first to advocate obeying just laws. One has not only a legal but a moral responsibility to obey just laws. Conversely, one has a moral responsibility to disobey unjust laws.

He further distinguished between the two, saying:

> A just law is a 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.

King's views on the law can be divided into two categories: law as an obstacle and law as an opportunity. He believed that unjust laws—and the courts that enforced them—were obstacles in the cause of racial justice, while laws that advanced racial justice were opportunities.

Martin Luther King Jr. believed that there are two types of laws: just and unjust

> "How can you advocate breaking some laws and obeying others?" The answer lies in the fact that there are two types of laws: just and unjust. I would be the first to advocate obeying just laws. One has not only a legal but a moral responsibility to obey just laws. Conversely, one has a moral responsibility to disobey unjust laws. I would agree with St. Augustine that "an unjust law is no law at all."

King further explained that a just law is a man-made code that aligns with the moral law or the law of God. An unjust law, on the other hand, is a code that contradicts the moral law. He elaborated on this distinction by quoting St. Thomas Aquinas:

> An unjust law is a human law that is not rooted in eternal law and natural law. Any law that uplifts human personality is just. Any law that degrades human personality is unjust.

King provided concrete examples to illustrate this distinction. He argued that an unjust law is one that a majority group enforces on a minority group without binding themselves to it. In contrast, a just law is one that a majority compels a minority to follow, and the majority is also willing to abide by it.

King also acknowledged that there are laws that may appear just on the surface but are unjust in their application. For instance, he noted that there is nothing inherently wrong with requiring a permit for a parade. However, when such an ordinance is used to maintain segregation and deny citizens their right to peaceful assembly and protest, it becomes unjust.

King emphasized that he did not advocate evading or defying the law but instead promoted civil disobedience, where individuals break unjust laws openly, lovingly, and with a willingness to accept the penalty. He believed that by accepting the consequences, individuals could express their respect for the rule of law while also challenging unjust laws.

He advocated for the breaking of unjust laws

Martin Luther King Jr. advocated for the breaking of unjust laws. In his "Letter from a Birmingham Jail", he wrote:

> "I would be the first to advocate obeying just laws. One has not only a legal but a moral responsibility to obey just laws. Conversely, one has a moral responsibility to disobey unjust laws. I would agree with St. Augustine that 'an unjust law is no law at all.' [...] Any law that uplifts human personality is just. Any law that degrades human personality is unjust. All segregation statutes are unjust because segregation distorts the soul and damages the personality."

King further explained that unjust laws are those inflicted on a minority group by a majority group, which does not bind itself to the same laws. He also acknowledged that there are laws that are just on their face but unjust in their application. For example, he was arrested for parading without a permit, which is not an unjust law in itself, but when used to "maintain segregation and to deny citizens the First-Amendment privilege of peaceful assembly and protest", it becomes unjust.

King clarified that he did not advocate evading or defying the law, as that would lead to anarchy. Instead, he believed that those who broke unjust laws must do so openly, lovingly, and with a willingness to accept the penalty. By doing so, they express the highest respect for the law and arouse the conscience of the community over its injustice.

King's position on civil disobedience was influenced by his Christian faith and the teachings of Jesus, who came "not to bring peace to the earth, but a sword". Jesus' followers are called to witness to his kingdom of justice and be prepared to suffer violence because of their witness against injustice.

He believed that unjust laws are those that degrade human personality

Martin Luther King Jr. believed that unjust laws are those that degrade human personality. In his "Letter from a Birmingham Jail", he wrote that "an unjust law is a human law that is not rooted in eternal law and natural law". He further stated that "any law that uplifts human personality is just" and "any law that degrades human personality is unjust".

King differentiated between just and unjust laws in his letter, which he wrote in response to a statement by eight Birmingham clergymen condemning a march he led to protest the city's system of racial segregation. He argued that there is a moral responsibility to obey just laws but also a moral responsibility to disobey unjust laws. He gave the example of segregation laws, which he believed fell into the category of unjust laws as they were "out of harmony with the moral law".

King also addressed the charge that his nonviolent actions precipitated violence, comparing it to the irrationality of condemning a robbery victim for possessing money. He understood that his actions might bring about tension, but he saw this as necessary for growth, quoting Socrates: "Socrates felt that it was necessary to create a tension in the mind so that individuals could rise from the bondage of myths and half-truths to the unfettered realm of creative analysis and objective appraisal".

King's commitment to nonviolence was a crucial aspect of his philosophy. He believed that those who call themselves Christians, and who are thus called to witness to Christ's kingdom of justice, will be a disruptive presence in an unjust world. However, he emphasised that this disruption should be nonviolent, stating that Jesus "charged his followers not to commit violence, but to be prepared to suffer violence because of their witness against injustice".

King's letter provides a rich portrait of his theological, philosophical, and moral insights. It demonstrates his commitment to nonviolence, his thirst for justice, and his belief in the solidarity of all humankind.

He believed that the breaking of unjust laws must be done openly and lovingly

Martin Luther King Jr. believed that there were two types of laws: just and unjust. He advocated for obeying just laws, but also believed that there was a moral responsibility to disobey unjust laws.

In his "Letter from a Birmingham Jail", King wrote:

> "I would agree with St. Augustine that 'an unjust law is no law at all.' Now, what is the difference between the two? How does one determine whether a law is just or unjust? A just law is a 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."

He further elaborated on this distinction by referring to the teachings of St. Thomas Aquinas:

> "An unjust law is a human law that is not rooted in eternal law and natural law. Any law that uplifts human personality is just. Any law that degrades human personality is unjust."

King argued that segregation statutes were unjust because they distorted the soul and damaged the personality. They gave the segregator a false sense of superiority and the segregated a false sense of inferiority.

King believed that breaking unjust laws must be done openly and lovingly, with a willingness to accept the penalty. He wrote:

> "One who breaks an unjust law must do so openly, lovingly, and with a willingness to accept the penalty. I submit that an individual who breaks a law that conscience tells him is unjust, and who willingly accepts the penalty of imprisonment in order to arouse the conscience of the community over its injustice, is in reality expressing the highest respect for law."

King's philosophy of civil disobedience was deeply rooted in his Christian faith and commitment to nonviolence. He understood that breaking unjust laws could be a powerful catalyst for social change, but it must be done in a way that maintained respect for the rule of law and promoted constructive, nonviolent tension.

He believed that the breaking of unjust laws must be done with a willingness to accept the penalty

Martin Luther King Jr. believed that there were two types of laws: just and unjust. He advocated for obeying just laws, but also believed that people had a moral responsibility to disobey unjust laws.

King argued that an unjust law is one that is out of harmony with the moral law, or the law of God. He wrote that "an unjust law is a human law that is not rooted in eternal law and natural law." He gave the example of segregation laws, which he believed fell into the category of unjust laws as they were morally wrong and sinful.

King further explained that an unjust law is one that a majority group compels a minority group to obey, but does not make binding on itself. He also noted that sometimes a law can be just on its face but unjust in its application. For instance, he was once arrested for parading without a permit, which he acknowledged was a just law in itself. However, he argued that such a law became unjust when used to maintain segregation and deny citizens their First Amendment rights.

King emphasized that breaking unjust laws must be done openly and lovingly, with a willingness to accept the penalty. He believed that by doing so, individuals were expressing the highest respect for the law and arousing the conscience of the community over its injustice. He saw this as a form of civil disobedience, similar to the acts of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the Bible, as well as the early Christians who faced lions and chopping blocks rather than submit to unjust laws.

King's commitment to nonviolence was a crucial aspect of his philosophy. He understood that breaking unjust laws and willingly accepting the penalty could be a powerful form of protest, focusing attention on the injustice of the punishment while maintaining respect for non-violence and the rule of law.

Frequently asked questions