Ethos, Pathos And Logos From Martin Luther King

This strengthens King’s argument by illustrating the fact that when one’s “moral law [is] at stake” (King), there is a moral obligation to resist these unjust laws, just as Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego did. Furthermore, it provides a compelling ethical and religious example to back up King’s claim. The next allusion that King utilizes in his letter is his reference to the early Christians who fought against the discriminatory Roman Empire. King alludes to the persecution of the early Christians under Roman Empire rule through a powerful parallel between civil rights activists and 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

On page 12 and 13 of the letter, King states many different examples of allusions, each relating back to the clergymen that made the accusation of his protest being extreme in the first place (King, 12-13). Some examples of the allusions are, “Was not Jesus an extremist in love- “Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, pray for them that despitefully use you.”” and, “Was not Amos an extremist for justice- “Let justice roll down like waters and righteousness like a mighty stream.”” (King, 12) By using examples that refer to religion and the church, King proves that he knows that with these allusions, the clergymen are going to understand what he is trying to say. He makes each of his statements stronger on pages 12 and 13 by including a quote that backs up his claim about each extremist

when you have seen vicious mobs lynch your mothers and fathers at will and drown your sisters and brothers at whim; when you have seen hate filled policemen curse, kick and even kill your black brothers and sisters; when you see the vast majority of your twenty million Negro brothers smothering in an airtight cage of poverty in the midst of an affluent society; when you suddenly find your tongue twisted and your speech stammering as you seek to explain to your six year old daughter why she can't go to the public amusement park that has just been advertised on television, and see tears welling up in her eyes when she is told that Funtown is closed to colored children, and see ominous clouds of inferiority beginning to form in her little mental sky, and see her beginning to distort her personality by developing an unconscious bitterness toward white people; when you have to concoct an answer for a five year old son who is asking: "Daddy, why do white people treat colored people so mean?" King demonstrates his ability to inspire his fellow civil rights activists, raise empathy in the hearts of white conservatives, and create compassion in the minds of the eight clergyman to which the "Letter" is directed.Ethos are present throughout the “Letter” but there was one specific example that caught my attention. “Let us consider a more concrete example of just and unjust laws. An unjust law is a code

King writing this letter from behind bars. He walked the statement that he makes in the letter that says, "I have tried to stand between these two forces, saying that we need emulate neither the "do-nothingism" of the complacent nor the hatred and despair of the black nationalist. For there is the more excellent way of love and nonviolent protest. I am grateful to God that, through the influence of the Negro church, the way of nonviolence became an integral part of our struggle" (530).

Due to the extent of his higher learning, Dr. King had ready access to a number of allusions from different 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

Dr. King had access to a series of allusions from various religious and secular traditions, and he made full use of this knowledge in the "Letter." While each allusion serves a specific purpose in the context of the argument in which it is used, when taken together they emphasize two aspects of their argument. First, it is his argument that all people are interrelated, and are responsible for each other. Numerous traditions from which Dr. King snatches hints

In Martin Luther King Junior’s Letter from Birmingham Jail, MLK uses ethos, logos, and pathos powerfully and effectively to present his argument that the discrimination of African Americans all over the country is unbearable and should be outlawed forever. King wrote the letter in Birmingham, Alabama after a peaceful protest against segregation which was King’s way of reinforcing his belief that without forceful, direct actions (such as his own), true civil rights could never be achieved.

According to Aristotle, ethos means that the persuader convinces someone else of their character or credibility or appeal to ethics; pathos means the persuader convince the audience of an argument by creating an emotional response or appeal to emotions; and logos means that the persuader is persuading an audience by reason or appeal to logic. Ethos can make a person sound fair or unbiased, person could also introduce their expertise or pedigree, and a person could use the correct grammar and syntax when it comes to using the appropriate language. Pathos can make an audience feel sympathy from the persuader or to make them

King combines the use of ethos and pathos as he compares himself and the rights of men to religious backgrounds. His first comparison is with the Apostle Paul, where Paul had “carried the gospel of Jesus Christ,” as to Kings carrying of “the gospel of freedom.” King addresses this similarity to show why he felt committed to go to Birmingham, because like Paul, he needed to respond as an aid to his people. Towards the end of Kings letter; he exemplifies courageousness in the Negro demonstrations by relating them to the actions of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego when they refused to follow what they believed to be unjust laws. Saying that if they are supposed heroes by going against unjust laws, why shouldn't the people see Negro demonstrators the same way? They are also God's children and by those disobedience’s, they were really showing the grace of God. These connections to religion supports their fighting against unjust laws as a divine cause.

Making an argument or trying to persuade someone can be a hard thing to do. There are three different types of persuasions called Ethos, Pathos, and Logos which can make persuading somebody either easier or harder. These three were used even back in the time of Homer when he wrote the Iliad and the Odyssey. In Homer's book the Iliad Ethos, Pathos, and Logos are found and used many different times throughout the story.

On August 28, 1963, people around the nation tuned into hear several civil rights speeches going on in Washington. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was one of those civil rights speakers, and that day he gave his famous “I have a dream” speech. In Dr. Martin Luther King Juniors speech, he spoke about unifying the nation, to create a place where Americans “will not be judged by the color of your skin but by the content of your character.”(2) He shocked the nation into actions advising that they’re will be a “rude awakening if the nation returns to business as usual.”(1) Thankfully, many people in America were changed, and wanted to make a difference after

At the time of writing, King wrote this letter because felt disappointed because the men of the cloth were criticizing him on his peaceful protest. King felt as if these men should support him because King’s purpose of trying to defeat segregation was based upon his church background. When writing this King tried to understand as to why the man of faith were going against what he practices. But while trying to understand

It seems that even back then Martin Luther King understood, that as a public figure, one cannot keep himself busy all day with reviews and criticism. There was a lot to do and a lot to fight for back then. Once you put your attention into the background, it is hard to deal with the really important stuff.

Aristotle has an idea that there are three rhetorical appeals people can use to persuade someone else – ethos, pathos and logos. Each of them is very useful and the persuasion will be most effective when three of them are all used. Amy Tan used all in “Mother Tongue.”

Every writer wants to reach their audience and persuade them to his or her point of view. They want to show and maintain authority in an argument, whether in writing or face-to-face. To accomplish that goal, a writer should imply the three classical principles of argument; ethos, pathos, and logos. Ethos occurs when an author gains respect based on his or her character. Authors use ethos to convince their audience based on his or her character. Authors using pathos in an argument, it persuades the audience through emotions. Logos supports the argument by