Ethos Pathos Logos In Letter From Birmingham Jail

In “Letter from Birmingham Jail,” MLK uses persuasive techniques like ethos, pathos, and logos. A piece of Ethos he shows is when he establishes his credibility by mentioning his role in the civil rights movement and his reasons for being in Birmingham. A Pathos I have noticed is when he appeals to emotion with vivid descriptions of the struggles African Americans face. Lastly, he uses Logos to argue against the criticism of his actions as “untimely” (in paragraph 10), explaining the urgent need for civil rights.

In April of 1963, Martin Luther King Jr. and a group of men prepared to rally around stores on Easter weekend, in order to convince store owners to remove the harsh signs prohibiting African Americans to shop in that store. Martin Luther king, along with several others, were arrested. This is where Dr. King wrote his “Letter from Birmingham Jail.” This was written primarily to a group of ministers who had publicly condemned Dr. King and his actions. Dr. King had no way of knowing if his letter would be published, but he knew there would be a chance.

The strategic use of allusions in his text allowed King to appeal to his audience better, allowing for a deeper understanding of his message to be known. Besides allusion, Martin Luther King Jr. was able to effectively use rhetorical questions, which are questions that are not meant to be answered but instead to inspire deep thinking and allow his audience to reflect on their views. In paragraph 16, he asks, “Is not segregation an existential expression of man’s tragic separation, his awful estrangement, his terrible sinfulness?” Using this rhetorical question, King is able to get his audience to rethink their views on segregation and realize the wrongness of it. Right before he poses this question, he references the Bible, where it says that separation is a sin.

Segregation is the action or state of setting someone or something apart from other people or things or being set apart. The conflict between the years 1880-1960s, the U.S. faced segregation. Many lives were lost and war broke out because of racism. In his letter “Letter from Birmingham Jail” Martin Luther King Jr. writes a response to the clergymen of Birmingham, Alabama. King uses the Aristotelian method with ethos, pathos, and logos to persuade the clergymen and the rest of Birmingham; Kings strongest arguments had to go to ethos and pathos because he advertises the fight black people faced, along with the mention of religious characters.

Some varieties of inspiration come as passionate love while others appeal as injustice as did Martin Luther King in his “Letter from Birmingham Jail.” Martin Luther King Jr. effectively crafted his counter argument by first directly addressing his audience, the clergymen, and then using logos, pathos, and ethos to refute his opponent's statements and present his own perspective. After stating the general purpose of his letter, Martin Luther King Jr. specifically addressed the clergymen to set up for his logical counterargument.

Martin Luther King Jr. gave many speeches in his lifetime. Martin Luther King uses persuasive argument in his speeches. One speech to show he did this is the "Beyond Vietnam - A Time to Break Silence" speech. In this speech he use Logos and Pathos. Him using these techniques is why everyone loved to listen to him and they just didn't hear him, they listened.

One of the strongest points of King's leadership was his oratory skills which were also reflected in his writings. He has a god mastery of words and knows how to weave them together to drive home a point he intends.

In Martin Luther King Jr.’s “Letter from Birmingham Jail,” King responds to the clergymen’s criticism on his non-violent actions being “unwise and untimely.” In his introduction, King uses front loading to provide a preview and background of what his letter will discuss. As he justifies why his actions were not “unwise or untimely” King addresses the bigger issue of the black community suffering injustices and the need to take action for justice. To convey his arguments King effectively uses quotations, allusions and pathos to support his argument and to refute what his opposition is saying.

The majority of the sentences in King’s letter can be connected to logos, pathos or ethos and his incorporation of appeals is masterful.

During the course of living human being are subjected to many controversial arguments and ethical stations. Education in concept of ethical reasoning and in the fundamentals of the principles are important for one to be skilled in ethical reasoning. Ethical reasoning is a very important element in human nature of living either professionally or individually. Ethical reasoning offers critics with the capability to represent viewpoints, ideas and make judgement. Moreover ethical reasoning enable critics’ to consciously give examination for them to reach a solution that does not harm anybody else. Ethical reasoning can be defined as arguing the wrong and the right of human behavior.

Throughout history, there have been many significant documents and speeches that enlighten and inform us on what is and was happening during those times. Abraham Lincoln’s speech, The Perpetuation of our Political Institutions, and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr’s Letter from Birmingham Jail are two important pieces of history. In Lincoln’s speech he speaks about the dangers of slavery in the United States and warned everybody that people who disrespected American laws could destroy the United States. On the other hand, Martin Luther King Jr. defended the strategy of nonviolent resistance to racism, and argued that people have a moral responsibility to break unjust laws. Based on these facts, Martin Luther King Jr does not agree with Lincoln’s counsel.

To be able to counterattack, one must know where the attack is coming from, hence analyzing the audience. By doing so, King is able to address his audience appropriately. In the preface, the

There has been a lot of change since the time Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. wrote his famous Letter from a Birmingham Jail compared to the social issues of today’s American society. Back in the 1960s, society was a forced set of rules and social correctness. Unfortunately, this politeness did not apply to any segment of culture except white society. It was a hard battle for African Americans to win equal rights against a society, which acted polite, but was actually racist and suppressant to everyone, who did not fit in to their accepted group. Actually, the Civil Rights Movement demanded the respect and acceptance of every distinctive group in America, which we should be proud of. While the Civil Rights Movement won this battle, now history seems to be

Martin Luther King Jr. was a remarkably eloquent speaker. His speeches are widely celebrated and remembered even years later. A great portion of what made King’s orations so memorable was his ability to develop a cogent argument. This essay will bring attention to how he utilized evidence, reasonings, and word choices to support his claims.

In August 1963, while sitting in Birmingham Jail, Martin Luther King wrote a letter responding to the statement of the eight Clergymen. This letter addressed the criticisms of the marches conducted in Alabama. The Clergymen were not thrilled with the direct-action King and the protesters took. During this letter, King fights the battle with a well-mannered, step by step defense. King expertly combines Ethos and Logos to appeal to the Clergymen while using Anaphora, Imagery, Deductive Reasoning.