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Report on Civil Disobedience

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University of Florida

   

Added on  2020-04-21

Report on Civil Disobedience

   

University of Florida

   Added on 2020-04-21

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Running head: CIVIL DISOBEDIENCECivil Disobedience: Antigone and Martin Luther King Jr.Student NameUniversity nameAuthor Note
Report on Civil Disobedience_1
CIVIL DISOBEDIENCEThesis Statement: Martin Luther King Jr. and Antigone both followed the principles of civil disobedience butthrough different means and ways in order to fight against the injustice caused by the statepower. Introduction The rules and regulations under the name of laws, have been maintaining the democracysince the ancient era. The laws are meant to reduce the crimes committed by individuals in theform of punishments. Civil disobedience can be defined as refusing to obey the civil laws set bythe government through nonviolent means (Cohen). Though Antigone and Martin Luther KingJr. belong to two different time and places but their way of actions can be connected through thecommon theme of civil disobedience. Both Antigone and Martin Luther King Jr. argue thatdisobeying rules of the authority is justified if those are causing social injustice. Both of themapplied nonviolence as the way of conducting civil disobedience. Thoreau, who theorized theconcept of social disobedience, explained that it is citizen’s responsibility and duty to against theauthority if they are promoting corrupt laws (Thoreau). Martin Luther King Jr. identified theinjustice against the colored people and proposed that civil disobedience should be used aspowerful tool in the fight for freedom. Both Antigone and Luther King Jr. effectivelydemonstrated their philosophy of civil disobedience, but there are similarities and differencesthat can be identified in their period, means, purpose and ways. Civil Disobedience: Antigone and Letter from Birmingham Jail.
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CIVIL DISOBEDIENCE“Letter from Birmingham Jail”Martin Luther King Jr. is one of pioneers of the civil rights movement and an activist ofcivil disobedience in America. The non-violent approach initiated by him, works against thesocial injustice but also reconciles the differences through a peaceful dialogue. Luther Kingestablished the way of civil disobedience in order to urge people to develop a creative tensionagainst the injustice (Thomson and Heather). Martin Luther King Junior used letter as themedium to address the clergymen who expressed their feelings against King’s actions. Thoughthe letter was only addressed to the eight clergymen, but it also intended to address the citizensof the country and the world.King’s persuasive writing tried to convince the readers to accepthis suggested course of action against the injustice. King also aimed to gain support from theprotestors and the government against his “Southern Christian Leadership Conference”(Garrow). He also wanted his actions to be effective and in order to achieve that he took thesupport of civil disobedience and brought the civil rights movement in the public attention. In his“Letter from Birmingham Jail” Martin Luther King Jr. justified his act of civil disobedience as away of producing the required creative tension. He stated “One has not only a legal, but a moralresponsibility to obey just laws. Conversely, one has a moral responsibility to disobey unjustlaws.”(King Jr, p: 05).Luther King explained that laws that are not aligned with the naturallaws are unjust laws and degrade the human soul and personality. Therefore, he argues that inorder to fight the injustice, a way of civil disobedience can prove to be effective. The voice ofLuther King in the letter addressing Civil disobedience, identifies with the voices of civil rightsadvocate, leader, minister, Afro American victim and a visionary. King himself was the victim ofsocial injustice because of racial differences so he himself represents the minority at the sametime he transcends his struggle into masses and transforms it into a movement.
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