Claim: Martin Luther King Jr. once said or wrote, "One has a moral responsibility to disobey unjust laws." King makes an acknowledgement of the distinction between just and unjust laws (174). Conversely, one has a moral responsibility to disobey unjust laws., An unjust law is itself a species of violence. It is not always the same thing to be a good man and a good citizen.. Society must protect the robbed and punish the robber. The Autobiography of Martin Luther King, Jr. He is a figure whose movement is grounded in equality and love. Hence segregation is not only politically, economically and sociologically unsound, it is morally wrong and sinful. Any law that uplifts human personality is just. It can be used either destructively or constructively.. 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. Blacks will win their freedom because the sacred heritage of their nation and the eternal will of God are embodied in their echoing demands. You can be a part of this exciting work by making a donation to The Bill of Rights Institute today! Conversely, one has a moral responsibility to disobey unjust laws. King says that we have a moral responsibility to obey just laws, and a moral responsibility to disobey unjust laws. One may well ask: "How can you advocate breaking some laws and obeying others?" He cites St. Augustine and St. Thomas Aquinas to justify this latter claim. Protest beyond the law is not a departure from democracy; it is absolutely essential to it.. He cites St. Augustine and St. Thomas Aquinas to justify this latter claim. I would be the first to advocate obeying just laws. This is certainly a legitimate concern. # Written by Andrew Villeneuve :: 9:04 AM, Categories: Civil Liberties, Holidays, Policy Topics, Tags: Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Nondiscrimination. - Martin Luther King Jr. Related Topics Conversely, one has a moral responsibility to disobey unjust laws. One has not only a legal but a moral responsibility to obey just laws. Now the law of nonviolence says that violence should be resisted not by counter-violence but by nonviolence. Any law that degrades human personality is unjust. On the moral responsibility to break unjust laws. Copyright 1999 - 2023 GradeSaver LLC. When I lived in Cuba, the U.S. was a model of equality and opportunity to many from the outside, she says. F. facts G. loaded words H. anecdotes J. statistics. Conversely, one has a moral responsibility to disobey unjust laws. A just law is a man made code that squares with the moral law or the law of God. ///ExtGState<>/ProcSet[/PDF/Text/ImageB/ImageC/ImageI] >>/MediaBox[ 0 0 612 792] /Contents 4 0 R/Group<>/Tabs/S/StructParents 0>> , [1] The relevant part of the letter that contained the quote is below. .. Any law that uplifts human personality is just. A just law is a man made code that squares with the moral law or the law of God. [CDATA[ What does King urge his fellow blacks to do with their discontent? It can be used either destructively or constructively.. Many turns of phrase in Martin Luther King Jr.s renowned 1963 Letter from Birmingham Jail are familiar to Americans today: Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. One has not only a legal, but a moral responsibility to obey just laws. For instance, I have been arrested on a charge of parading without a permit. The answer lies in the fact that there are two types of laws: just and unjust. He insists that everyone has a legal and moral responsibility to follow just laws, but that one equally has a moral responsibility to disobey unjust laws (174). If the church of today does not recapture the sacrificial spirit of the early church, it will lose its authentic ring, forfeit the loyalty of millions, and be dismissed as an irrelevant social club with no meaning for the twentieth century. oMzo0QH#_M@>L[aCN^u/+6)'pY_x/y&RYjW>"mR^B5\z4YR(WOL%eI~mn(60xm+x$vd8{fJ1 FC72FbBiUOY!/^ l7?='}\( #ARBq@g,4 2V\e \?|o1-\n~Ubv5n|Z\g/aI . WebCivil Disobedience Quotes. Arrest for its breach is more so. But if any man tries to stop me, let him take care, for I am desperate. 3 0 obj The quote from King was part of his letter known as "Letter from Birmingham Jail," which he wrote onApril 16, 1963. Quotes About Unjust Laws (47 Quotes) www.quotemaster.org. What is a person's moral responsibility when confronted with an unjust law? A just law is a man made code that squares with the moral law or the law of God. Contradiction: If everyone had the same morals than there would be no injustice. Here are three of the many memes we found being posted on Facebook on the Martin Luther King Jr. Day federal holiday in January 2023: As can be seen in the last meme above, the quote is sometimes lengthened to show more of King's thoughts. Why do Birmingham Police Chief Connor and his officers not deserve commendation for the extent to which they used moral means to achieve their ends? We contribute to teachers and students by providing valuable resources, tools, and experiences that promote civic engagement through a historical framework. The quotation bears a much closer resemblance to Martin Luther King, Jr.'s comment in his famous letter from Birmingham Jail: "One has not only a legal but a moral responsibility to obey just laws. Martin luther king, jr. quote: one has a moral responsibility to. Help us keep TheCascadia Advocate editorially independent and freely available to all by becoming a member of the Northwest Progressive Institute today. Why, now comes my master, takes me right away from my work, and my friends, and all I like, and grinds me down into the very dirt! He cites St. Augustine and St. Thomas Aquinas to justify this latter claim. What reason had King hoped they would give? United States, Take part in the Pitt Advocates day of digital advocacy on Feb. 28, Register for the 2023 Mentoring and Advising Summit on March 3, Nondiscrimination and Anti-Harassment Policy. As can be seen from the phrase quoted above, he believed in arousing the world, which is only possible if the world gets a chance to hear what you are doing. But it is the fault of the government itself that the remedy is worse than the evil. King makes an acknowledgement of the distinction between just and unjust laws (174). Conversely one has a moral responsibility to disobey unjust laws He is using the example of certain Nazi laws. Download Longforms app to read the latest picks and follow any writer or publisher, including Slate. ISI is a 501(c)(3) organization under the Internal Revenue Code, Apply for a Journalism Internship or Fellowship. They must do so openly, lovingly, and with a willingness to accept the penalty. Conversely, one has a moral responsibility to disobey unjust laws. For instance, I have been arrested on a charge of parading without a permit. This willingness to accept, in principle, the workings of a system based on the will of the majority, even when you yourself are in the minority, is simply the essence of democracy. You say your fathers did it; if it was right for them, it is right for me!, In an unjust society the only place for a just man is prison., There is a heady sense of manhood that comes from advancing from apathy to commitment, from timidity to courage, from passivity to aggressiveness. The Africa Center at the University of Pennsylvania published the letter in full on its website, as did a number of other websites. One has not only a legal, but a moral responsibility to obey just laws. But I'm going to have one. I meet young people every day whose disappointment with the church has risen to outright disgust.. Or make a donation to sustain our essential research and advocacy journalism. How does negative peace differ from positive peace? One has not only a legal but a moral responsibility to obey just laws. Conversely, one has a moral responsibility to disobey unjust laws." Conversely, one has a moral responsibility to disobey unjust laws. One has a moral responsibility to disobey unjust laws.. One has a moral responsibility to disobey unjust laws., Protest beyond the law is not a departure from democracy; it is absolutely essential to it., It is not always the same thing to be a good man and a good citizen., 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 the law, If the injustice is part of the necessary friction of the machine of government, let it go, let it go: perchance it will wear smooth--certainly the machine will wear out but if it is of such a nature that it requires you to be the agent of injustice to another, then I say, break the law. This is certainly a legitimate concern. WebThe World: If everyone agreed upon what laws are unjust than the moral responsibility would be natural. In what way is the white Church more like a thermometer than a thermostat? Letter from Birmingham Jail. Their letter ends with a refrain thats also familiar today: We appeal to both our white and Negro citizenry to observe the principles of law and order and common sense.. Conversely, one has a moral responsibility to disobey unjust laws. One has a moral responsibility to disobey unjust laws. WebThe quotation bears a much closer resemblance to Martin Luther King, Jr.'s comment in his famous letter from Birmingham Jail: "One has not only a legal but a moral responsibility to obey just laws. Any law that degrades human personality is unjust. Sometimes a law is just on its face and unjust in its application. Readers can also listen to King read these five paragraphs from an audio recording that was posted to YouTube, beginning at the 16:31 mark: You express a great deal of anxiety over our willingness to break laws. Throughout Alabama all sorts of devious methods are used to prevent Negroes from becoming registered voters, and there are some counties in which, even though Negroes constitute a majority of the population, not a single Negro is registered. We will resist.. An Open Letter to Wikipedia 1963, https://www.africa.upenn.edu/Articles_Gen/Letter_Birmingham.html. Let your life be a counter-friction to stop the machine. Letter From Birmingham Jail. When you attempt to alter the workings of the system by means of violence or civil disobedience, this, it seems to me, can have only one of two implications; either you do not believe in democracy at all and consider that society ought to be governed by enlightened minorities such as the one to which you, of course, belong; or you consider that the present system is so imperfect that it is not truly representative, that it no longer serves adequately as a vehicle for the will of the majority, and that this leaves to the unsatisfied no adequate means of self-expression other than the primitive one of calling attention to themselves and their emotions by mass demonstrations and mass defiance of established authority., Let us put it generally: if a regime is immoral, its subjects are free from all obligations to it., [Theseus] soon found himself involved in factions and troubles; those who long had hated him had now added to their hatred contempt; and the minds of the people were so generally corrupted, that, instead of obeying commands with silence, they expected to be flattered into their duty.. 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