Question

(MLK Jr Letter from Birmingham jail) lines 247-264: what allusions are in these two paragraphs? how does king use these alusions to support his argumenet in favor of civill disobediance?

Answer 1

What allusions are in these two paragraphs?

"Of course, there is nothing new about this kind of civil disobedience. It was evidenced sublimely in the refusal of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego to obey the laws of Nebuchadnezzar, on the ground that a higher moral law was at stake. It was practiced superbly by the early Christians, who were willing to face hungry lions and the excruciating pain of chopping blocks rather than submit to certain unjust laws of the Roman Empire. To a degree, academic freedom is a reality today because Socrates praticed civil disobedience. In our own nation, the Boston Tea Party represented a massive act of civil disobedience."

We should never forget that everything Adolf Hitler did in Germany was "legal" and everything the Hungarian freedom fighters did in Hungary was "illegal." It was "illegal" to aid and comfort a Jew in Hitler's Germany. Even so, I am sure that, had I lived in Germany at the time, I would have aided and comforted my Jewish brothers. If today I lived in a Communist country where certain principles dear to the Christain faith are suppressed, I would openly advocate disobeying that country's antireligious laws.

How does king use these alusions to support his argumenet in favor of civill disobediance?

Due to the extent of his higher learning, Dr. King had ready access to a number of allusions from a variety of religious and secular traditions, and he makes full use of that knowledge in the “Letter.” While each allusion serves a particular purpose in the context of the argument in which it is used, when taken together they underline two aspects of his argument. First is his argument that all men are interrelated, and responsible for one another. The multiple traditions from which Dr. King draws his allusions reflects this belief, showing his deference for and trust in a variety of approaches, including: secular theory; Jewish theology; Christian thinkers; political figures; and historical persons. Secondly, Dr. King’s use of multiple traditions for his allusions reinforces the unimpeachability of his argument. By directing the text to peoples of so many backgrounds, and using their most celebrated figures to support his case, he makes it difficult for any person to view the overall argument as separate from him or his own culture or background.

King defines just laws as those that conform to the “moral law or the law of God.” Just laws “uplifts human personality".

Unjust laws are “out of harmony with the moral law” and “degrade(s) human personality.” King says that unjust laws punish not only the segregated but also the segregator.