Martin Luther King Jr And Henry David Thoreau - 1393 Words

Martin Luther King Jr and Henry David Thoreau were both two important men in our society that ultimately changed things for the better or at least had some part in our stride for equality in the United States. Whether it be in the Transcendentalist Era of the early 19th century in which Thoreau composed one of the most prominent documents of his time â€Å"Civil Disobedience†, or during the 1960’s fight for racial equality in which Dr. King wrote his powerful â€Å"Letter from Birmingham Jail†, both seeked to better the ways in which the government was wrongfully treating its’ citizens. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr was greatly influenced by Henry David Thoreau’s work and was very close in his position on just and unjust laws and ultimately the two were very close in their views about the government’s need for change but had different ideas on how to change them. Henry David Thoreau and Martin Luther King Jr both had similar views on conscience a nd the fact that there are two sets of laws: just and unjust. Dr. King exemplifies his views on conscience when he states: â€Å"I submit that an individual who breaks a law that conscience tells him is unjust, and willingly accepts the penalty by staying in jail to arouse the conscience of the community over its injustice, is in reality expressing the very highest respect for the law† (para 20). King knows that he was wrongfully thrown in jail and accepts going to jail because he believed that eventually the community will see the injustices andShow MoreRelatedMartin Luther King Jr. And Henry David Thoreau1311 Words   |  6 PagesAmerican citizens expect the authority to work â€Å"for the good of the people† and â€Å"follow in everything the general will†, however, it was not always the case, according to influential American authors and civil rights activists Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Henry David Thoreau. Although both of their works were written over a century apart, one cannot deny the fact that both of them successfully and nonviolently converted their ideology into action using different methods of civil disobedience. TheirRead MoreMartin Luther King Jr. and Henry David Thoreau Essay976 Words   |  4 PagesThe essays by Martin Luther King Jr., â€Å"Letters From Birmingham Jail† and Henry David Thoreau, â€Å"Civil Disobedience† show how one can be a civil person and protest against unfair, unjust laws forced upon them. Both authors are very persuasive in their letter writings. Henry David Thoreau and Martin Luther King Jr. write about the injustice of government laws, of right and wrong, and one’s moral and upstanding conscience of a human being. Martin Luther King Jr. is a religious, peaceful man who usesRead More Comparing Civil Disobedience by Henry David Thoreau and Martin Luther King Jr.933 Words   |  4 PagesComparing Civil Disobedience by Henry David Thoreau and Martin Luther King Jr.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Any one can say that a law is unfair and unjust. However, who is really willing to accept the consequences for going against an unjust law? Is breaking this law really worth the punishment? The government is the one to decide whether a law is reasonable, but what if a member of the public believes that a law is not? Should he rebel against this law? Henry David Thoreau and Martin Luther King Jr. answered yes to this questionRead MoreHenry David Thoreau: Great Influence to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.629 Words   |  3 PagesI strongly believe that just as Henry David Thoreau was greatly influenced by the writer Ralph Waldo Emerson, (who introduced Thoreau to the ideas of transcendentalism) Martin Luther King, Jr.s thinking was greatly influenced by that of Thoreaus. He was most probably influenced more by Indias Mahatma Gandhi; however, Gandhis principles were mainly based on those of Thoreau. Though Thoreau lived more than 100 years before the time of King, his thinking remained an influential legacy. They eachRead MoreMartin Luther King Jr., Lenard Pitts, Henry David Thoreau, And Harper Lee970 Words   |  4 Pageshow immense the situation is and how rapidly it should be dealt with, and there must be nonviolent demonstrations for superb end conclusions. There are 3 steps in order for justice to prevail which were ideas derived from Martin Luther King Jr., Lenard Pitts, Henry David Thoreau, and Harper Lee. Those three steps will be explained and discussed throughout this thesis paper. The first step is realizing or â€Å"Bearing Witness† as Lenard Pitts would say, as stated in his speech Bearing Witness â€Å"We mustRead MoreMartin Luther King Jr., Lenard Pitts, Henry David Thoreau, And Harper Lee972 Words   |  4 Pageshow immense the situation is and how rapidly it should be dealt with, and there must be nonviolent demonstrations for superb end conclusions. There are 3 steps in order for justice to prevail which were ideas derived from Martin Luther King Jr., Lenard Pitts, Henry David Thoreau, and Harper Lee. Those three steps will be explained and discussed throughout this thesis paper. The first step is realizing or â€Å"Bearing Witness† as Lenard Pitts would say, as stated in his speech Bearing Witness â€Å"We mustRead MoreHenry David Thoreau, Gandhi, and Martin Luther King Jr.s Use of Civil Disobedience562 Words   |  2 Pagescollective means of forcing concessions from the government.† Men such as Henry David Thoreau, Gandhi, and Martin Luther King Jr. have all used forms of civil disobedience and nonviolent protest to make changes in the world. These changes have made huge impacts on our societies and how we are able to live our everyday lives. Without these three men and their practice of civil disobedience, the world would be a very different place. Thoreau views civil disobedience as a necessity when the law causes someoneRead MoreHenry David Thoreau and Martin Luther King, Jr.s Justification of Defying Unjust Laws1820 Words   |  8 PagesHenry David Thoreau and Martin Luther King, Jr.s Justification of Defying Unjust Laws In his famous essay, â€Å"Letter from Birmingham Jail,’’ Martin Luther King, Jr. cites conscience as a guide to obeying just laws and defying unjust laws. In the same way, Henry David Thoreau wrote in his famous essay, â€Å"Civil Disobedience,† that people should do what their conscience tells them and not obey unjust laws. The positions of the two writers are very close; they use a common theme of conscience, andRead 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 MoreHenry David Thoreau Resistance To Civil Disobedience Analysis1508 Words   |  7 Pagescivil government by Henry David Thoreau is an essay written about his opinion on opposing the government that was taking control of people’s rights, motivating his disagreement of slavery and the Mexican-American war. Mahatma Gandhi, a leader who fought for the Indians independent movement against British. Lastly but not least, Martin Luther King Jr., the leader of the civil rights movement. Within the tree leaders, Henry David Thoreau, Mahatma Gandhi, and Martin Luther King Jr. their connections